Emily Dickinson

A lot of people talked about the fact that poetry is hard to understand and Emily Dickinson makes it even harder. On some levels, I agree. Poetry is hard and Dickinson doesn't exactly feed us with a spoon. She challenges our thoughts and sometimes leaves us with frustrations. However, this is what makes me love her. Some of her poems may not make any sense at all to me, but they must have made perfect sense to her; that is what is so intriguing. Below is one of my favorites of Dickinson and we just happened to have discussed it in class.

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 portions 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 –

  

For some reason this poem really resonates with me. Maybe it is because it challenges the typical idea of what death will be like. I consider myself a Christian, but I don't necessarily believe that when I die I will see "the light." This may just be the pessimistic side of me. What I imagine death to be like is much like what Dickinson describes. I just can't wrap my head around the idea that my death will somehow be this amazing thing where I am finally given answers to life. 

I think the message of this poem is much more straightforward compared to some of the others we have read. There are some that I wouldn't even want to take a shot at trying to determine what Dickinson had in mind.  

She doesn't always paint us the perfect picture, but the picture she does paint is beautiful nonetheless.