Question

What does the fly symbolize in the poem “Dying”?

Answer 1

The speaker says that she heard a fly buzz as she lay on her deathbed. The room was as still as the air between “the Heaves” of a storm. The eyes around her had cried themselves out, and the breaths were firming themselves for “that last Onset,” the moment when, metaphorically, “the King / Be witnessed—in the Room—.”

Answer 2

The fly in the poem “Dying” symbolizes the death and decay of corpses. The poet portrays a romantic view of death at the beginning of the poem. She mentions grieving family members, and her tone reflects the satisfaction of fulfilling her final responsibilities, such as willing away her earthly possessions. But this peaceful tone is shattered by the buzzing of a fly. The poet says that fly came between her and “the light.” The poet uses the image of a fly, which is associated with decay and impurity, to reflect her uncertainty about the aftermath of death.