How does Emily Dickinson‘s "I heard a Fly buzz – when I died–" reflect and critique 19th-century American cultural and religious perceptions of death and the afterlife?

Term Paper , 2025 , 19 Pages , Grade: 1,7

English Language and Literature Studies - Comparative Literature

This term paper explores how Emily Dickinson’s renowned poem “I heard a Fly buzz – when I died–” critiques 19th-century American cultural and religious ideals surrounding death and the afterlife. Through close textual analysis and contextual insights, it argues that Dickinson subverts dominant Christian narratives of a peaceful, transcendent death by emphasizing ambiguity, physical decay, and existential isolation. The paper combines literary interpretation, historical background, and philosophical theory (including references to Heidegger’s Being-towards-death) to highlight Dickinson’s radical approach to mortality. A must-read for students of American literature, poetry analysis, and cultural studies.

• College: University of Osnabrück (Anglistik und Amerikanistik)
• Course: Emily Dickinson
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Felix Konermann (Author)
• Publication Year: 2025
• Pages: 19
• Catalog Number: V1599927
• ISBN (PDF): 9783389148389
• ISBN (Book): 9783389148396
• Language: English
• Tags: Emily Dickinson, I heard a Fly buzz - when I died-, I heard a Fly buzz when I died, Analysis, Poem