Death in Literature

Nicole Santarpia

Emily Dickinson’s poems: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant--”, “Success is Counted Sweetest--”, “I heard a Fly buzz--when I died,”, “Because I could not stop for Death—” and Ernest Hemmingway’s “Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” largely touch upon death in some way and those works that don’t describe or play into emotions or actions experienced with death.

“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant”’ talks about the honestly in you speech. You should tell the truth but not the whole truth, there should be some sense of deception. This reminds me of death because when people know they are sick and dying oftentimes they will try to hide it from loved ones; they won’t tell them the extent of their illnesses to try to shield them and possibly make those last memories happy ones. Also, sometimes there are family member or loved ones, especially the young, who cannot always handle the whole truth.

“Success is counted Sweetest” also plays into death. Dickinson describes to us that success is not always nest understood and appreciated by those who win, but more so by those who are defeated. They “count it sweetest” and have the “sorest need” to win. Dickinson mentions the dying and defeated solider at the end of her poem. I think that it is at the end of your life that you begin to appreciate all you’re life circumstances even though they weren’t all favorable.

In “I heard a Fly buzz--when I died,” we see the short process of someone’s final moments on earth the eyes around them are all dried up from tears and the people are tensely and carefully breathing awaiting the final moment of their loved one. In such a crucial time when that person dying would normally be saying goodbye they are noticing a simple fly in the room. This poem represents how even though this person is dying they are appreciating the little things in life like the fly.

“Because I could not Stop for Death—“ describes a person who was too bust living their life to the fullest to die or be concerned by death. They could not stop and wait for death to get them because they were too busy living, The person realizes that eventually they will die, but they are not going to stop living in the mean time, let death come get them.

Ernest Hemingway’s “Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, depicts Macomber literally being shot by his wife was sleeping with his hunting mate. Macomber is very passive and cowardice and this way his wife walks all over him. Macomber is even aware that she had slept with someone else the night before. In attempts to be manlier he sees a Buffalo and shoots it a few times killing it as it charges him. His wife intentionally shoots him and kills him because she is doesn’t like his new sense of self-esteem. Macomber was finally free of his wife, but in order to keep herself dominant she shoots him.

As one can see there are many different facets of death being discussed in Emily Dickinson’s poems: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant--”, “Success is Counted Sweetest--”, “I heard a Fly buzz--when I died,”, “Because I could not stop for Death—” and Ernest Hemmingway’s “Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”. Emotions of death, reasoning, and much more are discussed in these works.