How does Turner memorably convey the speaker's feelings about death in On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book?
Charles Tennyson Turner memorably conveys the speaker's feelings about death in On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book through a tone that is sombre yet contemplative, using contrasting imagery, irony, and poetic form to explore the futility, inevitability, and fragile beauty of life. The crushed fly becomes a striking metaphor for the brevity of existence, and Turner's carefully chosen language and structure deepen the poem's emotional and philosophical impact.
Turner begins by reflecting on the futility of life, using calm, detached language to underline the emptiness that death leaves behind. In the line, "Yet leave no lustre on our page of death," the contrast between "lustre" — a word that suggests beauty and brilliance — and "page of death" evokes the idea that even a radiant life ultimately ends in nothingness. The "page" metaphor suggests the closing of a chapter, with death wiping out the vibrancy that once existed. This bleak perspective is reinforced by Turner's use of iambic pentameter, which lends the poem a steady, measured tone — almost as if the speaker has resigned himself to the harsh reality that nothing endures beyond death. This quiet acceptance hints at a deeper emotional maturity, as the speaker grapples not only with mortality but with the meaninglessness it seems to impose on life.
However, this sense of futility is complicated by moments of awe and reverence for life's beauty, which emerge despite — or perhaps because of — its transience. When the speaker remarks, "Were half as lovely as these wings of thine!" the exclamation captures his admiration for the fly's delicate form. The wings serve as a metaphor for life's intricate, fleeting beauty, and the speaker's wonder at such detail suggests that he finds meaning in the very fragility of existence. This moment of reverence contrasts with the earlier emphasis on life's futility, creating a tension in the poem between appreciation and despair. The shift in tone from detached to admiring — and the ironic use of exclamation — introduces an emotional ambivalence: the speaker is torn between valuing life's loveliness and acknowledging its ultimate disappearance. This complexity makes his meditation on death all the more poignant.
This ambivalence reaches its most powerful expression in Turner's reflection on the inevitability and randomness of death, symbolised by the crushed fly. In the line, "Has crush'd thee here between these pages," the image is stark and violent. The fly — representing memory, life, and perhaps innocence — is destroyed without ceremony, suggesting how sudden and senseless death can be. The book, likely a metaphor for the passage of time, turns its pages just as life turns its years, indifferent to what is caught between them. The fly's fate becomes symbolic of the human condition: no matter how we value our memories or our experiences, they are vulnerable to erasure. This notion returns the poem to its earlier exploration of futility, but now with added irony — we cherish what is fragile, even though it cannot be preserved.
In conclusion, Turner memorably explores the speaker's feelings about death by weaving together themes of futility, admiration, and inevitability. His use of contrast, tone, and metaphor invites the reader to reflect on life's beauty, even as it fades, and challenges us to consider the tension between valuing existence and accepting its end. Through the simple yet haunting image of a crushed fly, Turner captures the profound emotional complexity that surrounds death — at once mournful, respectful, and quietly resigned.
