Dickinson Poem Analysis

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 --





I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died --


Why is fly capitalized? In what context did she "die"? You cannot physically hear once you are dead. She starts out with what seems like a pretty boring observation, but then, almost out of no where she drops "when I died", almost like an afterthought to nab your attention.

Is the speaker of the poem dead?  Death and flies paint a pretty morbid picture, so this poem probably wont be about something cheerful.

The Stillness in the Room


Why is stillness and room capitalized?  The stillness of the room is the exact opposite of what she said in the first line about the annoying buzz of the fly.

Was like the Stillness in the Air --


Why is stillness and air capitalized?  The atmosphere of the room seems heavy and thick, almost humid.

Between the Heaves of Storm --


Why are heaves and storm capitalized?  This line reminds me of that moment in natural disaster movies like The Day After Tomorrow or The Perfect Storm when the setting suddenly get really quiet and eerie just before the storm roars through and destroys everything.


The Eyes around -- had wrung them dry --


Why is the word eyes capitalized?  Whose eyes is she talking about? Are there other people in the room?  Where they crying and now have become exhausted or maybe made peace with the situation?  This line seems to contain more traces of human emotion.

And Breaths were gathering firm


Why is breaths capitalized?  Are a group of people/onlookers gathering in the room?

For the last Onset -- when the King


What is the last onset and why is onset capitalized?  Why are the gatherers waiting for the last onset? Could this possibly mean the moment of death?  Is the person dying important or royal?  This is the first mention of a king, the person dying must be well known in a good way since everyone is waiting for her/him to pass on.

Be witnessed -- in the Room --


Why is room capitalized?  Who is this king?  Nineteenth century America had no king, is this a reference to god?  But Dickinson doesn't seem like a religious poet.

I willed my Keepsakes -- Signed away


Why are keepsakes and signed capitalized?  The speaker suddenly switches gears, wasn't she just talking about a king in the room?  I though she was leading up to some big event, but the poem calms down and she's talking about how she has given away her possessions.

What portion of me be


Some part of her will always be present through her possessions.

Assignable -- and then it was 


She gives her possessions aways -- assignable.  This is the end of the calm moment since she says "then it was".  All of sudden something new is going to happen.

There interposed a Fly --


Fly is capitalized again and its back!  It interrupts the quiet scene, it "interposed".  It is an intruder.

With Blue -- uncertain -- stumbling Buzz -- 


Why is blue and buzz capitalized?  The fly is not graceful, because it stumbles.  Why is the fly being brought back up?  Does it have more importance than just an annoying old house fly?  Why is it uncertain?  Why does she mention the color blue? Or is it the mood?

Between the light -- and me -- 


The fly is "interposed" between the light and the speaker.  What is the light -- the afterlife?  The fly seems to have messed up the soothing/calming transition to the light with its annoying buzz.

And then the Windows failed -- and then


Why is windows capitalized?  What does she mean by the windows failed?  Did she finally die?  Are the windows her eyes?  And then...and then what?!

I could not see to see --


Yup, she definitely died, she can not see anymore.  But what does she mean she can not see to see?  It's a bit of a spooky ending, first there was an annoying fly and a light and now she's dead.  We are left with the image of darkness, flies and mystery.