Two Viewpoints of Death in Emily Dickinson's Poetry

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Two of Emily Dickinson’s poems, “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died” and “Because I could not stop for Death” are both written about life’s stopping point, death. Although the poems are written by the same poet, both poems view death in a different manner. Between the two poems, one views death as having an everlasting life while the other anticipates everlasting life, only to realize it does not exist. While both poems are about death, both poems also illustrate that the outcome of death is a mysterious experience that can only be speculated upon with the anticipation of everlasting life.

In “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died” the woman seems to anticipate everlasting life, but does not find it. When the woman in the poem dies and her eyes or “…Windows…” (15) as the poem calls them, fail it represents that she sees nothing after she is dead. The last line of the poem, “I could not see to see” (16) further supports that when she was dead there was nothing further to explore. The poem, “I heard a Fly buzz-when I died” does not support that the woman has found everlasting life. Although eve...

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