I heard a fly buzz when I died I heard a Fly buzz--when I died-- The Stillness in the RoomWas like the Stillness in the Air-- Between the Heaves of Storm-- The Eyes around--had wrung them dry-- And Breaths were gathering firmFor that last Onset--when the KingBe witnessed--in the Room-- I willed my Keepsakes--Signed awayWhat portions of me beAssignable--and then it wasThere interposed a Fly-- With Blue--uncertain stumbling Buzz-- Between the light--and me-- And then the Windows failed--and thenI could not see to see--
Title: interesting because Dickenson chose to describe an insignificant, everyday occurrence with one of the most important occurrence of a person’s life.
Paraphrase: describes the moment of death
Stanza 1: she was dying and a fly buzzed by.
Stanza 2: people are standing around now and they are not crying anymore.
Stanza 3: shift, she signed will then focus changes to fly
Stanza 4: last minute, small amount of life left, small fly
Connotation: only rhyme- me and see
Consonance- uncertain stumbling buzz
Onomonopia- buzz
Image- fly, blue- peaceful, calm, pure, spiritual
Diction- wrung- a
more violent action stating that something was once wet, or crying, and is not
anymore; interposed- a more negative
word, more like got in the way of something rather than just flew by; failed- more negative connotation, had
once but is now lost
Attitude: acceptance and solemn tone until the fly interposes, she is almost in annoyance with the fly
Shift: stanza 3, “and then there interposed a fly”
Theme: life still goes on even as one is dying