Literary Devices Literary Devices    

Lesson 36: Onomatopoeia: I heard a Fly buzz – when I died

by Emily Dickinson

Performer: Librivox - Lee Ann Howlett

Directions

Study the poem for one week.

Over the week:

• Read or listen to the poem.
• Review the synopsis.
• Read about the poet.
• Complete the enrichment activities.

Synopsis

In Emily Dickinson's 'I heard a Fly buzz – when I died,' the narrator reflects on her death from beyond the grave. The room is silent. The onlookers are so exhausted from the strain of watching a loved one die, they can no longer cry. The narrator has just signed away her worldly possessions and the King (Death) is coming for her, when the fly arrives. The fly breaks the silence with its buzz and blocks the narrator's light just before she dies, plunging her into blackness. The buzz of a fly is usually unmemorable and insignificant. However, in the poem, the buzz momentously marks the moment of the narrator's death.

Concepts

Poets often use literary devices, defined as 'rules of thumb, convention, or structure that are employed in literature and storytelling.'

The nine literary devices we'll study include:

1. Rhyming
2. Alliteration
3. Similes
4. Metaphors
5. Personification
6. Foreshadowing
7. Allusion
8. Hyperbole
9. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a literary device whereby an author uses a word that sounds like what it represents, such as 'gurgle' or 'hiss.'

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite Poem Information

Recite the title of the poem and the name of the poet.

Activity 2: Study the Poem Picture

Study the poem picture and describe how it relates to the poem. How does the image differ from the poem?

Activity 3: Recite the Poem

Practice reciting the poem aloud.

Activity 4: Identify Onomatopoetic Examples

Read aloud the examples below and identify the onomatopoetic words.

• Something banged against the door.
• The booming of the bombs reverberated over the bay.
• The campfire popped and crackled and released a cloud of gray smoke.
• The soft hoot of an owl sounded in the night air.

Activity 5: Identify Alliteration

Review the poem and point out any instances of alliteration.

Activity 6: Identify Similes

• Review the poem excerpts and identify any similes.
• Name the pairs of elements that the similes compare.

Activity 7: Identify Personified Object(s)

Review the poem and identify anything personified.

Activity 8: Identify Onomatopoetic Words

Review the poem excerpts and identify the onomatopoetic words.

• I heard a Fly buzz – when I died
• Between the Heaves of Storm -
• With Blue - uncertain - stumbling Buzz -

Activity 9: Complete Book Activities   

• Click the crayon above, and complete pages 109-111 of 'Elementary Poetry 5: Literary Devices.'

References

'Onomatopoeia.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.