I heard a Fly buzz – when I died
Emily Dickinson’s poem “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died” was written in 1862 but not published until 1896, ten years after her death, in her third posthumous collection of poetry, “Poems by Emily Dickinson”, edited by her friends Mary Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was born on 10 December 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, US, and she died on 15 May 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts, US, at the age of 55.Little-known during her life, Dickinson has come to be regarded as one of the most important figures in US poetry. Despite an output of nearly 1,800 poems, only ten poems and one letter were published during her lifetime, and even then usually edited significantly to fit conventional poetic rules. Her poetry was unique for the era, containing short lines, typically lacking titles, and often using slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation. Some recurring themes in her writing are death and immortality, as well as aesthetics, society, nature, and spirituality. Although Dickinson’s acquaintances were most likely aware of her writing, it was not until after her death—when her younger sister discovered her cache of poems—that her work became public.
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Wikipedia page on “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died”
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Wikipedia page on Emily Dickinson
I heard a Fly buzz – when I died – The Stillness in the Room Was like the Stillness in the Air – Between the Heaves of Storm –
The Eyes around – had wrung them dry – And Breaths were gathering firm For that last Onset – when the King Be witnessed – in the Room –
I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away What portion of me be Assignable – and then it was There interposed a Fly –
With Blue – uncertain – stumbling Buzz – Between the light – and me – And then the Windows failed – and then I could not see to see –