How does Emily Dickinson's 'I heard a Fly buzz - when I died-' reflect and critique 19th-century American cultural and religious perceptions of death and the afterlife?

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Seminar paper from the year 2025 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Comparative Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Osnabrück (Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Emily Dickinson, language: English, abstract: This term paper explores how Emily Dickinson¿s renowned poem "I heard a Fly buzz ¿ when I died¿" critiques 19th-century American cultural and religious ideals surrounding death and the afterlife. Through close textual analysis and contextual insights, it argues that Dickinson subverts dominant Christian narratives of a peaceful, transcendent death by emphasizing ambiguity, physical decay, and existential isolation. The paper combines literary interpretation, historical background, and philosophical theory (including references to Heidegger¿s Being-towards-death) to highlight Dickinson¿s radical approach to mortality. A must-read for students of American literature, poetry analysis, and cultural studies.

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