A Side-by-Side Look
The PoemI heard a Fly buzz – when I died –
|
The Interpretation
|
What is this all about?
- The last sound the persona hears before death is the buzzing of a fly. Aside from the buzzing, the room is quiet. The people already at the bedside can cry no more. The persona's will is portioned all the while the fly is buzzing. The persona sees the fly and hears the buzzing. Then the windows are closed and the persona can no longer see the fly.
What is the form of the poem?
Stress:
Rhyming:
- The fist and third lines of each stanza are in iambic tetrameter.
- The second and fourth lines of each stanza are in iambic trimeter.
Rhyming:
- The form follows an ABCB pattern.
- The first three stanzas include half-rhymes.
- The last stanza includes full rhymes.
Is there a motif in the poem?
In the poem, there are two opposing motifs: quietness and buzzing. In the first stanza, the persona juxtaposes the two motifs. The "buzz" is initially heard in the room (Dickinson 1). However, the room has a "[s]tillness" (Dickinson 2). In the second stanza, the room is again quiet, the only noise being that of the individuals' breaths. In stanza three, the only sound described is the "interposed" fly (Dickinson 9). In stanza three, the buzzing is the focus of the first two lines while the stillness of the room is the focus of the third and fourth lines. Therefore, the motifs of quietness and buzzing create a binary opposition that Dickinson explores.
How can I visually picture this?
Visual Slide Show
Each number corresponds with the line number from the poem. Click the number to see the picture that corresponds with the line or watch the entire slide show at once for a visual representation of the poem.