In the poem “The Fly” William
Blake addresses the fly
that his hand has just brushed away, putting an end to the fly’s “summer’s
play” by presumably killing it. The speaker wonders whether he and the fly are,
in fact, the same. Like the fly, the speaker dances and drinks and sings until
some “blind hand” will kill him, snuffing out his existence. The speaker of “The Fly” ends by reasoning that if life means thought or
consciousness, and the absence of thought or consciousness is death, then the
speaker is, like the fly, happy whether he lives or dies.
.jpg "The Fly summary by William Blake")
{getToc} $title={Table of Contents}
Summary of the poem “The Fly” [William Blake]
In the poem, 'The
Fly', the speaker addresses the fly which his hand unconsciously kills and his
killing makes stop the fly's play. He compares himself with the fly because
like the fly, he drinks, sings, and dances. Due to thought and mind, he is
different from the fly. Thought is life to humans. If thought is deceased
(dead), he is no more human. Then, he is like an animal or insect. He also
thinks that due to mind and thought, he suffers from thinking about death.
The Fly by William Blake [question answer]
In the poem The Fly, is the fly living or dead?
Ans:
The fly is dead.
In
what sense is the speaker like the fly, or the fly like the speaker?
Ans:
The speaker and the fly are similar because both of them sing, dance, drink,
and also one day have to die.
What's the meaning of "If thought is life" in the poem The Fly?
Ans:
According to the poet, the thought is life. Due to mind and thought, he is more
different than animals and insects. If there is no thought, he is not a human
being. He is dead in life.
How
does the poet bring about the similarity between a fly and a human being?
Ans:
Human beings and flies are similar because they have to die. As he dies, like a
fly, he also does not have any senses, feelings, or thoughts of the outer world.
The
poet makes a sympathetic identification with the fly. What is the poet's
"wing"? What is the "blind hand"?
Ans:
The poet metaphorically compares the poet's life with a fly's wing Later, he
compares death with a blind hand. Death is blind because he never discriminates
against any living beings to take away from the Earth.
What
is the major comparison in the poem between a man and a fly in the poem The Fly?
Ans:
The major comparison in the poem between man and fly is that as the fly, the
speaker sings and dances, and like the fly, one day he has to face death.
In
what images is the fly personified?
Ans:
If we give human qualities to the no-human or abstract ideas, it is
personification. In the poem, the fly is personified giving human qualities
such as dancing, singing, etc.
In the poem The Fly, what is the central argument?
Ans:
The central argument in the poem is that due to thought, human beings suffer
much thinking about death. The poet’s main argument in the poem is that due to
human beings ', there is the existence of their life.
The
"blind hand" may refer to Fate or Destiny. What will the poem The Fly
mean if the "blind hand" refers to Fate or Destiny? Explain.
Ans: The blind hand may refer to death, fate, or destiny. The poet wants to be happy on the earth till fate is favor him. He has to die one day. So, he may not worry about death. Like a fly, he wants to be free, and fresh and wants to capture the joy as much as he can. He does not want to think much about death because it provides him pain.