The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
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The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
“I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -“
— Emily Dickinson
The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Without rehearsal
she pulled her “big moment” off—
dying as she wished,
quietly as eyes closing—
an awkward silence
afterwards,
heavy
like that between storms
on the coast.
As I recalled Emily
and following the blaze
of her auburn hair
past her beloved Indian pipes,
blue trumpeting gentians
and crown imperials
I hummed, fervently
--the way others sing
old Christian hymns.
Emily lay as still
as a poem on a page
as I settled on her pillow.
I didn’t expect a King
to speak but I rubbed
my hands nervously
when talk of a will
—uncertain—hesitant—
entered the room.
Interposed between us
and the window’s light
were the bereaved
—and talk, talk, talk
of portions not yet
assigned.
A chill numbed the air.
I pulled my wings closer.
They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
— Emily Dickinson
The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Without rehearsal
she pulled her “big moment” off—
dying as she wished,
quietly as eyes closing—
an awkward silence
afterwards,
heavy
like that between storms
on the coast.
As I recalled Emily
and following the blaze
of her auburn hair
past her beloved Indian pipes,
blue trumpeting gentians
and crown imperials
I hummed, fervently
--the way others sing
old Christian hymns.
Emily lay as still
as a poem on a page
as I settled on her pillow.
I didn’t expect a King
to speak but I rubbed
my hands nervously
when talk of a will
—uncertain—hesitant—
entered the room.
Interposed between us
and the window’s light
were the bereaved
—and talk, talk, talk
of portions not yet
assigned.
A chill numbed the air.
I pulled my wings closer.
They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
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- Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Perhaps you can use single quotes for ‘big moment.’
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- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Why is that?
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- Location: Between the mountains and the sea
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
I think this is a great idea, fascinating.
Who could have made a poem on her work about death and a fly.
It does elicit some morbid horror, death, corruption, a fly's meal
I don't know if any other poet could have developed this theme from the fly in Emily's poem.
I puzzled about the king until I read her poem for myself.
And of course she's talking about the King of Glory, the Lord
Some say her faith was not real, did not last beyond the revival at that time.
We can't say that for sure or at all, she said her sabbath wasn't in church but at home.
That very first line seems off,
“I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -“
— Emily Dickinson
To me it should be, 'before I died' [British usage of speech literals]
or 'as I was dying'. But it's not for me to criticize a great poet.
13 stanzas in all.
The best stanza S13
They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
Would it be too many modifiers to say:
I closed in my wings
as a flimsy shawl
of gossamer strands
in a thinning light
Or is 'gossamer' used to often?
I looked up hands for flies in S8 and yes they are referred to as hands.
Scientists refer to them as legs.
I spent 2 hours critiquing this poem, but have had so much trouble and lost half of it.
I will come back in the week and try to do full justice to this marvellous and fascinating work.
I nominate it for the IBPC this month if it is still running.
****************************
1 Without rehearsal
she pulled her “big moment” off—
dying as she wished,
2 quietly as eyes closing—
an awkward silence
afterwards,
3 heavy
like that between storms
on the coast.
4 As I recalled Emily
and following the blaze
of her auburn hair
5 past her beloved Indian pipes,
blue trumpeting gentians
and crown imperials
6 I hummed, fervently
--the way others sing
old Christian hymns.
7 Emily lay as still
as a poem on a page
as I settled on her pillow.
8 I didn’t expect a King
to speak but I rubbed
my hands nervously
9 when talk of a will
—uncertain—hesitant—
entered the room.
10 Interposed between us
and the window’s light
were the bereaved
11 —and talk, talk, talk
of portions not yet
assigned.
12 A chill numbed the air.
I pulled my wings closer.
13 They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
Who could have made a poem on her work about death and a fly.
It does elicit some morbid horror, death, corruption, a fly's meal
I don't know if any other poet could have developed this theme from the fly in Emily's poem.
I puzzled about the king until I read her poem for myself.
And of course she's talking about the King of Glory, the Lord
Some say her faith was not real, did not last beyond the revival at that time.
We can't say that for sure or at all, she said her sabbath wasn't in church but at home.
That very first line seems off,
“I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -“
— Emily Dickinson
To me it should be, 'before I died' [British usage of speech literals]
or 'as I was dying'. But it's not for me to criticize a great poet.
13 stanzas in all.
The best stanza S13
They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
Would it be too many modifiers to say:
I closed in my wings
as a flimsy shawl
of gossamer strands
in a thinning light
Or is 'gossamer' used to often?
I looked up hands for flies in S8 and yes they are referred to as hands.
Scientists refer to them as legs.
I spent 2 hours critiquing this poem, but have had so much trouble and lost half of it.
I will come back in the week and try to do full justice to this marvellous and fascinating work.
I nominate it for the IBPC this month if it is still running.
****************************
1 Without rehearsal
she pulled her “big moment” off—
dying as she wished,
2 quietly as eyes closing—
an awkward silence
afterwards,
3 heavy
like that between storms
on the coast.
4 As I recalled Emily
and following the blaze
of her auburn hair
5 past her beloved Indian pipes,
blue trumpeting gentians
and crown imperials
6 I hummed, fervently
--the way others sing
old Christian hymns.
7 Emily lay as still
as a poem on a page
as I settled on her pillow.
8 I didn’t expect a King
to speak but I rubbed
my hands nervously
9 when talk of a will
—uncertain—hesitant—
entered the room.
10 Interposed between us
and the window’s light
were the bereaved
11 —and talk, talk, talk
of portions not yet
assigned.
12 A chill numbed the air.
I pulled my wings closer.
13 They were a flimsy shawl
in a thinning
light.
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
It is not as if she is speaking to someone.Single quotes would suffice here.
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- Posts: 2692
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Thanks, Ieuan. Appreciate your generous comments!
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- Posts: 2692
- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
Thanks, Siva.
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- Posts: 127
- Joined: 28 Aug 2020, 23:11
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
I have been reading on the double quotes versus single quotes. You stick to your original “. “. I could be wrong.
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- Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03
Re: The Fly Reflects On Emily Dickinson’s Death
I’m also confused after reading about their differences.