“I Heard a Fly Buzz -- When I Died”: From Being-towards-Death to Existentialism

Jintao Song; Guofang Song

doi:10.62051/ijsspa.v5n1.06

Authors

Jintao Song
Guofang Song

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62051/ijsspa.v5n1.06

Keywords:

Emily Dickinson, “I Heard a Fly Buzz -When I Died”, Heidegger, Being Towards Death, Existentialism

Abstract

Emily Dickinson’s “I Heard a Fly Buzz -- When I Died” is one of the more renowned poems within her oeuvre that addresses the theme of death. Meanwhile, Heidegger’s concept of “being- towards-death” in Being and Time stands as a central pillar of his philosophy of death, offering a unique perspective on mortality. This paper aims to explore Dickinson’s poetry through the lens of Heidegger’s philosophy of death. Initially, it briefly outlines Heidegger’s views on death, distinguishing them from universal notions of mortality; subsequently, as the core content of this article, it specifically analyzes the construction of “being-towards-death” in “I Heard a Fly Buzz - When I Died” through the application of Heidegger’s philosophical insights.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Chi Xiqin. From Death to Existence: A Study of Existentialist Philosophy's View of Life and Death. Western Journal, 2021 (15): 42-44.

[2] Dickinson, Emily.The Poems of Emily Dickinson, ed. Ralph W. Franklin. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.

[3] Dickinson,Emily. Perception and the Poet’s Quest.Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1985.

[4] Freud,Sigmund. In David J. Gordon, Imagining the End of Life in Post-Enlightenment Poetry.Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2005.

[5] Heidegger, Martin. Being in the World. Cambridge: MIT UP,1991.

[6] Heidegger,Martin. Existence and Time. Translated by Chen Jiaying and Wang Qingjie. Beijing: Sanlian Bookstore, 2014.

[7] Kitaro Nishida, Research on Goodness, translated by Yang Xiaobo and Lu Xiaobo Beijing: Wenjin Publishing House 2021.

[8] Lakoff, G. &M., Johnson. Metaphors People Live By. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1980.

[9] Niu Chenkai, Li Wei. Kant’s “antinomy” and Hegel”s “positive negative combination” and a discussion on the ideological transcendence of Marxist dialectics. Philosophical Progress, 2022.

[10] Porter,David. Dickinson:The Modern Idiom. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1981.

[11] Sheehan,Thomas.Making Sense of Heidegger: A Paradigm Shift. London: Rowman &Littlefield, 2015.

[12] Zhang Jun. Rereading Sartre: Elaborate on the concept of ‘my thoughts before reflection’. Lanzhou: Lanzhou University, 2017

[13] Wang Qingjie. Is Heidegger’s “Fundamental Existentialism” a “Philosophical Anthropology”-- On Cassirer’s Critique of Heidegger’s “Kantian Interpretation” . Davos Debate. 2021(2019-8):5-12.