Question

which poem did you select? *
○ i felt a funeral, in my brain,
● i heard a fly buzz - when i died -

ela.9.r.1.1: what key elements (structure, punctuation, rhyme) add meaning or style? *
select all that apply to your poem
□ the use of dashes and unusual punctuation to create pauses or emphasis
□ short lines and stanza breaks that make the rhythm feel fragmented or abrupt
□ slant rhyme (words that almost rhyme) to create tension or unease
□ figurative language (metaphors, personification, imagery) that builds mood
□ the speaker’s perspective, which can make the poem feel intimate or isolated
□ contrasting tones (hope vs. despair) that reveal her inner conflict
□ simple, everyday images (like birds or funerals) used to express complex emotions
□ the lack of traditional titles, which makes the poems feel more mysterious

Explanation:

For the poem "I heard a Fly buzz - when I died -" by Emily Dickinson:

1. The use of dashes and unusual punctuation to create pauses or emphasis

Dickinson frequently uses dashes in her poems, including this one. The dashes create pauses, guiding the reader’s rhythm and emphasizing certain moments, like the stillness of death interrupted by the fly’s buzz.

2. Short lines and stanza breaks that make the rhythm feel fragmented or abrupt

The poem has short lines and stanza breaks (or lack of traditional stanzas, with brief groupings) that give a fragmented, abrupt rhythm. This mirrors the disjointed experience of death and the speaker’s perception.

3. Slant rhyme (words that almost rhyme) to create tension or unease

Dickinson uses slant rhyme (e.g., “died” and “eyes” in some interpretations, or internal slant rhymes). This subtle, imperfect rhyming creates tension, reflecting the unease of confronting death.

4. Figurative language (metaphors, personification, imagery) that builds mood

The poem uses imagery (the fly, the “king” in the room, the “windows” of the soul) and metaphor (death as a formal event, the fly as an intruder) to build a somber, eerie mood.

5. The speaker’s perspective, which can make the poem feel intimate or isolated

The speaker is recounting their own death, using a first - person perspective. This makes the poem feel intimate (we hear a personal account) and isolated (death is a solitary experience).

6. Contrasting tones (hope vs. despair) that reveal her inner conflict

There’s a contrast: the formality of death (expecting “the King” or a spiritual revelation) and the intrusion of the fly (a mundane, almost absurd element). This contrast reveals inner conflict between the hope of an afterlife and the despair of the ordinary interrupting that hope.

7. Simple, everyday images (like birds or funerals) used to express complex emotions

The fly is a simple, everyday image, but it’s used to express the complex emotions of fear, confusion, and the absurdity of death. Funerals (implied in the death scene) are also everyday (or at least cultural) images used to frame the complex experience of dying.

8. The lack of traditional titles, which makes the poems feel more mysterious

Dickinson’s poems often lack traditional titles (this poem is known by its first line). This lack of a title adds to the mystery, as we enter the poem without a predefined thematic label, focusing on the speaker’s experience.

Answer:

• The use of dashes and unusual punctuation to create pauses or emphasis
• Short lines and stanza breaks that make the rhythm feel fragmented or abrupt
• Slant rhyme (words that almost rhyme) to create tension or unease
• Figurative language (metaphors, personification, imagery) that builds mood
• The speaker’s perspective, which can make the poem feel intimate or isolated
• Contrasting tones (hope vs. despair) that reveal her inner conflict
• Simple, everyday images (like birds or funerals) used to express complex emotions
• The lack of traditional titles, which makes the poems feel more mysterious