Journal #28

The famous Emily Dickinson wrote the poem "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." This poem is about a fly that interrupts the speaker as they are passing away. The poem starts out like this, "I heard a fly buzz when I died; The stillness round my form Was like the stillness in the air Between the heaves of storm" (Dickinson). I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think that Emily Dickinson was saying that as she was laying there dying, the room and the air became very peaceful and still. Especially, after being very sick and heaving after long periods of time. So far, I feel like this is a very interesting poem because it is different than many other poems. I'm not sure if I like it, but it is sort of unique. Next, she goes on to say, "The eyes beside had wrung them dry, And breaths were gathering sure For that last onset, when the king Be witnessed in his power." (Dickinson). This stanza, for me, was a lot harder to analyze because I think everyone can interpret it differently. The first sentence makes me think of people crying because the speaker is dying so I think that it would make sense. The second line, which I do not completely understand, I think might mean that people, like the speaker's friends and family were coming to gather around her, while she passes away for the "last onset, when the king be witnessed in his power" (Dickinson). At least, that is what I took from this stanza. Then, the third stanza starts like this, "I willed my keepsakes, signed away What portion of me I Could make assignable,-and then There interposed a fly," (Dickinson). Now this is talking about how the speaker had signed his/ her will, and assigned what could be assigned away, and then a fly came along. Finally, With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz, Between the light and me; And then the windows failed, and then I could not see to see. I thought this poem was different, I don't think I loved it, but it was okay. "I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died." Web. 27 Mar. 2012. .