Question

Part a consider dickinson’s poems "i heard a fly buzz —when i died" and "i felt a funeral, in my brain." which topic do the two poems share? responses the process of grieving the process of grieving the quest for truth the quest for truth the feeling of loss the feeling of loss the rhythms of nature the rhythms of nature question 2 part b what evidence from the poems supports the answer to part a? select the two correct answers. responses "kept beating—beating—till i thought / my mind was going numb—" "kept beating—beating—till i thought / my mind was going numb—" "the eyes around—had wrung them dry— / and breaths were gathering firm" "the eyes around—had wrung them dry— / and breaths were gathering firm" "and then a plank in reason, broke, / and i dropped down, and down—" "and then a plank in reason, broke, / and i dropped down, and down—" "and then the windows failed—and then / i could not see to see—" "and then the windows failed—and then / i could not see to see—"

Answer 1

The topic that the poems share is c. the feeling of loss

The evidence to show this grieving in poem are:

• "and then a plank in reason, broke, / and i dropped down, and down—"
• "and then the windows failed—and then / i could not see to see—"

What does the poem show?

The speaker's mind struggles to comprehend the loss they have experienced, and they feel a sense of detachment from reality. The imagery of the fly buzzing and the windows failing reinforces the feeling of chaos and confusion that accompanies grief.

The poems also employ metaphors to express the speaker's loss. In "I heard a fly buzz — when I died," the speaker compares their own death to a funeral, describing the mourners as "the eyes around—had wrung them dry— / and breaths were gathering firm".

The imagery of the dry eyes and gathering breaths suggests a solemnity and finality that mirrors the speaker's own feeling of loss.