On finding a small fly crushed in a book Flashcards
1
Q
content
A
Speaker muses on the body of the fly which he discovers crushed in a book;
causing him to reflect on MANKIND’S MORTALITY, and the nature of LIFE, DEATH & LEGACY
2
Q
INTERPRETATION
A
Sombrely evokes the inevitability of death
Nihilistically mourns the transience & impermanence of human life:
Most leave little lasting memory when we die
3
Q
context
A
Published in 1873
contrary to RELIGIOUS SOCIETY - afterlife
he was brother of Lord Tennyson
Charles was successful but far less renowned
Victorian preoccupation with mourning and grief: victoria’s husband
Turner was inspired by how Shakespeare left a legacy
