... both poems, but the answer to that question differs immensely between the two poems. Dickinson uses allusion and symbolism combined with clever word choice to make her themes clear to the reader. In " I Heard a Fly Buzz-When I Died," Dickinson suggests that no hope of blissfulness exists beyond death. The speaker ... expecting a coming storm. Not only does the speaker await her storm, but the friends around her bed are weathering their own private storms as they weep for their dying friend. For the speaker, the moment before death is like the calm before the storm. During this calm, "I ...

• Word Count: 973
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School