I heard a Fly buzz- when I died: Structure & Language Techniques

Pattern and Structure

Dickinson uses a traditional ballad stanza throughout the poem: 8,6,8,6 syllable count. This form imparts a somewhat rhythmic, song-like quality to the otherwise dark theme.
Yet, she disrupts this meter frequently, creating an unsettling effect that mirrors the disturbance of death.

Dickinson uses personification for death: “With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz”. This portrays death as not a fearsome monster, but a familiar, commonplace event.
The predominant use of dash “—” is typical of Dickinson’s style. This creates pauses, gaps and interruptions that disrupt the flow and adds a philosophical or contemplative tone.
She uses a striking image of a fly, usually associated with decay, against the grandeur of imminent death, challenging traditional depictions of death.
The phrase “The Windows failed – and then” uses the metaphor of windows to represent eyes closing in death, creating a vivid, visual representation of final moments.
Irony is used in the poem to emphasize the insignificance of death. The traditional solemnity and decorum around death is ignored, replaced by the mundane image of a fly.

A notable shift happens in the final stanza. Until then, the speaker seemed to be calmly waiting for death, only for the mundane reality of a fly to intrude – presenting the natural order of decay and death.
The tension between the imagined dignified death and the reality of the indifferent nature of death permeates throughout the poem.