The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABABCDDCEFEFGG. On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary
The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABABCDDCEFEFGG.
On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary
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In Charles Tennyson Turner's poem "On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book," the sudden death of a tiny fly prompts reflection on the important subjects of mortality, legacy, and the transient nature of life. He discovers the fly crushed between the book's pages, its life abruptly taken by an inexpRead more
In Charles Tennyson Turner’s poem “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book,” the sudden death of a tiny fly prompts reflection on the important subjects of mortality, legacy, and the transient nature of life. He discovers the fly crushed between the book’s pages, its life abruptly taken by an inexperienced hand. This picture turns into a moving metaphor for how unexpectedly and suddenly death may come to any living thing, including people.
On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary
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Metaphor: The central and most powerful device is the extended metaphor comparing the crushed fly to human existence. The book represents death, its closing pages symbolizing the finality of life. This comparison makes the poem's message clear and relatable, using a seemingly insignificant creatureRead more
- Metaphor: The central and most powerful device is the extended metaphor comparing the crushed fly to human existence. The book represents death, its closing pages symbolizing the finality of life. This comparison makes the poem’s message clear and relatable, using a seemingly insignificant creature to ponder a universal human experience.
- Apostrophe: Turner directly addresses the dead fly in lines like “thou” and “thine,” creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy. This personalizes the event and draws the reader deeper into the speaker’s contemplation.
- Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words (e.g., “survive,” “hand,” “harm”) add a musicality and emphasize certain keywords, drawing attention to their significance.
- Imagery: The poem creates vivid images of the fly’s crushed wings and the closed book, making the scene real and impactful for the reader.
- Personification: Attributing human qualities to the book, like it “seizes” the fly, makes the object more menacing and reinforces the connection with death.
On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary
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In “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book," Turner mostly discusses the subject of death's inevitable conclusion. Most of the poem is devoted to his admiration of the fly, its tragic demise, and what remains. He then discusses death as a part of everyone's existence. The novel is extended and utiRead more
In “On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book,” Turner mostly discusses the subject of death’s inevitable conclusion. Most of the poem is devoted to his admiration of the fly, its tragic demise, and what remains. He then discusses death as a part of everyone’s existence. The novel is extended and utilized as a metaphor for death, showing how it can strike at any time and claim a person’s life. Like it did on the fly, it can close anytime. By the poem’s conclusion, it is also evident that the speaker doesn’t think a human’s death could ever be as exquisite as a fly’s. Its wings’ shimmering evidence is that.
On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book Summary
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