The Fascination with Death in Emily Dickinson's Poems

Introduction

Have you ever been intrigued by death? The way that death is inevitable causes people to fear death, while it should be accepted as a natural cycle of life. Death can occur to anyone, anytime, and anywhere because it is a natural phenomenon that individuals experience. Emily Dickinson herself believes death is unexpected and is a prevalent theme in her poems. The poems she wrote that relate to death are “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” “I Heard A Fly Buzz– when I Died,” and “I Like a Look of Agony” which demonstrates the fascination Dickinson had with understanding the greater scope of death. The concept of death is expressed in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, in which Dickinson expresses immorality and being fearless when the time comes with characters in order to personification death. The poem “I Heard A Fly Buzz when I Died” describes the afterlife experience of hearing a fly buzz when they see the light which can be compared to a near-death experience when seeing light. Dickinson realized that death was more than dying but was felt by other people such as in the poem “I Like a Look of Agony” that shows a person’s sadness is genuine and not simulated. Emily Dickinson demonstrates Eternity through her poems such as the beginning of a new life that one encounters after death. Dickinson develops the idea of death in her poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” “I Heard A Fly Buzz–when I Died,” and “I Like a Look of Agony” to demonstrate death as an inevitable journey of nature, there being many different ways to experience death and an existing afterlife.

Start of a new life in another dimension

Though people experience physical death, there is a start of a new life in another dimension. Emily Dickinson had the idea that when an individual experiences death that is not the end of life itself. The idea to which she referred to is eternity, which explains the life experienced after physical death. In her poem, “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died,” emphasizes the state of existence while experiencing physical death. The first stanza starts with the instant death experience “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”- (Dickinson, Lines 1-4). This poem from the start is showing the message Dickinson is expressing, death occurred by the fly symbolizing the beginning of the decaying process a person experienced when they die. The poem also talks about the presence of people around her until she awaits her inevitable death. The words go like “The Eyes around – had wrung them dry –And Breaths were gathering firm” (Dickinson, Lines 5-6). These words suggest she could see people by her side and feel her relatives around her breathing, which explains her being conscious in her spiritual form. While she is lifeless laying on her deathbed suddenly there is a fly by the window interrupting her last goodbye. Although she is gone, the last image represented was the fly buzzing which suggests that the fly could be guiding her to another lifelong experience. It demonstrates that life is “buzzing” with life and although people can experience death there is always that light at the end of the tunnel to enter the afterlife.

Another example of existing in the afterlife is shown to demonstrate that death is inevitable and there is more to exist after physical death occurs. The poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” explains the existence of eternity because of how it personifies death as being civilized and not worrying about death. The narrator is using a calm tone to describe her journey with death although she is already physically dead. This shows that Dickinson is able to demonstrate her belief of the afterlife because although she has already undergone physical death, the narrator is able to be spiritual and retell her story. The poem begins with “Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly stopped for me – The Carriage held but just Ourselves – And Immortality” (Dickinson, Lines 1-4). The beginning of the stanzas illustrate the personification that death is given such as compared to a gentleman throughout the poem, which she welcomes death, and such immorality that is held in the carriage. This carriage represents the journey the narrator takes when she is welcomed into death to find her way to the afterlife. Since this carriage is carrying immorality it explains the presence of death and the idea to begin a new life. The carriage takes them on a road to experience what her life was like and gives the cue to her death. In the journal article “Science and the Afterlife Experience: Evidence for the Immortality of Consciousness” James Matlock acknowledges there is another world after physical death. He goes on to explain that spirituality “..opens the door to a mind-body dualism or dualistic interactionism that allows for the survival of consciousness after death” (Matlock, 2014). Matlock explains that there is a state of consciousness after death which is shown in Dickinson’s poem when the narrator is explaining her journey of death. The character that represents death is shown to present eternity and when she hops into the carriage there is that transition from death to eternal life. There is an instance when the carriage makes a stop at the grave in which death occurs but also the beginning of the narrator's new life, that she is able to narrate. Once again when we experience physical death our soul lives and people are able to exist in the afterlife.

Death can occur in many different ways and times which is evident that death is inevitable and will come. Whether there is pain or not it is evident that people who mourn are able to experience true pain and agony. In the poem “I Heard A Fly Buzz–When I Died” demonstrates that death can be painless but cause horrifying effects. She is able to open her eyes and sense the outside world such as who is near her. Then it goes on to explain how she can feel the stillness in the room while the fly buzzes around which is when she died. The fly could signify the revelation of God which is talked on by the speaker. This refers to the way God comes and takes their soul from their body once they experience physical death. There is also a reference to death feeling uncertain and not feeling ready to leave the world. It is mentioned in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” as personified by a gentleman that is taking the girl into the carriage on the journey of death and the afterlife. Dickinson is able to show us by talking about the journey of death as something that she is aware is inevitable and not frightened of. The calm tone in this poem helps the reader forget the negative image of death and feel more normal about the whole idea of dying. The poem “I Like a Look of Agony” demonstrates another perspective of death and how people are not able to feign suffering pain instead it shows that people are mourning. Dickinson goes on “The Eyes glaze once—and that is Death— Impossible to feign The Beads upon the Forehead By homely Anguish strung” (Dickinson, Lines 5-8). This goes to show that Emily likes to see the look of agony in people’s faces as they see their loved ones facing death. The reason being is that there is truth to that emotion described as agony and despair people experience. Men are able to fake a smile while they much rather be seen as cheerful than sad, it demonstrates when men cry it is because it is a real impossible to feign emotion. Emily Dickinson does not get pleasure by knowing another person is being vulnerable, instead, she discovers that it demonstrates the power of agony and shows people’s true feelings. The article “Death, Pain, and Time” by Christopher Belshaw emphasizes the struggle to want to live immorality when there are different circumstances to be followed. Belshaw explains “It is even possible that looking forward, we will, though hating pain, not wish for it not to occur. For we might see that future pain is a part of making us who we wish to be. Death represents the ending of my life. It can occur only in the future. It is to be expected that, in general, we'll wish to postpone death” (Belshaw, 2000).

Conclusion

It is evident that people wish their death while suffering and want to wish they would pass away but in Belshaw’s world people will be able to suffer while dealing with pain as long as they don’t pass away. If Dickinson was able to witness today’s world she would agree to a certain extent with Belshaw, but to live until your body and God says it is time. Therefore, Emily Dickinson believes that death is inevitable and people cannot live forever so it is best to live and not be horrified by death.