William Blake in his poem “The Fly” is feeling sorry because he has mercilessly killed a fly. His intention was not to finish the life of the creature (fly) but he happens to kill it accidently. After having killed the fly, the speaker compares his life with the life of the fly. He finds many similarities between the fly and himself. The only difference he finds is the conscience.
The Fly by William Blake Summary
The poem
"The Fly" composed by William Blake is about the speaker's apologies (क्षमा याचना) about his careless act of killing a fly (झीङ्गा) mercilessly
(निर्दयतापूर्वक).
Once the
speaker was sitting outside in summer. A fly came enjoying the warm weather.
The speaker felt annoyed (रिसाउनु) of the fly. Without giving a second thought the speaker
happened to kill the fly at once. Then the speaker repented (प्रायश्चित्त गर्नु) for what he did. He, then, started
thinking the fly's death from different angle. He compared himself with the
fly. He found different similarities between the fly and human beings. The way
death has just taken the life of the fly away suddenly, it occurs to the man
too an unknown date i. e. all of a sudden.
Every human
being, like the fly, enjoys their life by drinking, dancing, and singing until
death comes.
The speaker
made some distinction (अन्तर) with regard to thought process between fly and human beings.
He said that man could enjoy their life like flies if he/she stopped worrying
about inevitable (निश्चित) death. To leave a carefree (चिन्ता मुक्त) life a man should stop reasoning and
using conscience (विवेक). The poem ends with a message that if human beings need
liberation (मुक्ति),
his/her thoughts must die.
Points to remember in the poem The Fly by William Blake Summary
- The speaker of this poem imagines that he and fly are the same.
- Like the speaker, the fly also dances, sings and drinks.