How does the poet make the poem, On finding a small fly crushed in a book,

memorable and intriguing?

 AO1 Show detailed knowledge of the content of literary texts in

supported by reference to the text.
 AO2 Understand the meanings of literary texts and their contexts, and
explore texts beyond surface meanings to show deeper awareness of
ideas and attitudes.
 AO3 Recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language,
structure and form to create and shape meanings and effects.
 AO4 Communicate a sensitive and informed personal response to
literary texts.

In the poem, on finding a small fly crushed in a book, Turner makes the poem
intriguing and memorable by using techniques like caesura, extended
metaphors and the omnipresence of the semantic field of death in the poem.

Firstly, Turner presents the fly as an innocent victim of its fate. ‘never meant
to do thee hurt’, is the poet exemplifying how this death was a mere
accident, it did not happen on purpose, the fly happened to be there and its
life ended based on a mistake someone else, in this case, the poet made by
crushing it. The use of a caesura before this, the author creates an emphatic
pause, where he emphasizes that his actions were not deliberate and he did
not harm the fly based on any personal reasons. ‘never’ means to not ever
do, and this suggests the author never had the intention or the reason to kill
the fly. ‘hurt’ means to injure or harm, and this in a way is a denial of death,
as the fly is not only hurt, it is dead. The author does recognize that this
death was an accident, but does not go too far to blame himself, as he does
not take full responsibility of killing the fly, instead labelling it as ‘hurt’. This
conveys the human paradox, and perhaps Turner does this on purpose to
show, how humans never take full accountability for their actions, and
alludes that perhaps one day this same fate that befell the fly, be any one
else. Moreover, the author directly addresses the fly as ‘thou’, although it is a
dead creature that does not possess human intellect, the author treats the
fly as if it has worth, and this evokes sympathy and pathos for its tragic end
to life. ‘own fair monument’ is the author articulating using visual imagery
how even in death, the fly is beautiful and exquisite. ‘monument’ suggests a
grand building or historical place, yet the fly has a ‘fair’ one which means it
is magnificent, which shows the flies dead, crushed body still appears to hold
value and is worth admiring and observing, like a grand ‘monument’. ‘own’
suggests the fly is fully responsible for what it has made, it has received no
help, and this extraordinary creation is from the fly itself, it has received no
outside help or support. The ‘monument’ makes the life of the fly permanent,
etching its existence into history as it has left a mark for the world to
remember. Furthermore, ‘wings gleam out’ exemplify how the fly has shiny,
mesmerizing appeal and appearance. ‘wings’ and ‘gleam’ connote to
something angelic or heavenly and this exacerbates that fly’s innocence and
hyperbolizes how it had never committed a wrong doing. The author
emphasizing how the fly had never committed a wrong, shows Turner trying
to convince the reader, that the fly was not deserving of the fate that befell
it, and this can apply to humans too, yet the contrast between the fly’s
innocence versus human wrongdoing is made clearer as the poem continues.

Secondly, the author constructs the themes of mortality and the paramount
importance of leaving a legacy. ‘relics’ means something that is preserved
and is an artefact, yet this being attributed to a fly’s dead body, shows how
Turner emphasizes how the fly’s presence has value in this world, and even
in death it is prized and precious, priceless like a ‘relic’. This word also has
religious connotations which can once again be linked to the fly’s purity and
innocence. However, a ‘relic’ can be used to remember someone or
something by, it holds memory, and this shows that a legacy survives the fly
even though it has passed. This is the introduction of the theme of a legacy,
and the structure of this poem, as it is a sonnet, which is usually written for
love or reverence, shows the elevated status of a fly, which is remembered
due to its ability to leave its mark on the world. Turner stresses the
importance of leaving something behind, and in the fly’s case, a
commendable, exquisite legacy of its own body. Perhaps, this is Turner trying
to fight of his own desperation to be rid of impermanence, as a poet he
wishes his books to survive him, and his works to live forever, to be a
constant reminder of him, like a ‘relic’ would be. ‘gone’ is the poet referring
to the fly’s inevitable yet definite passing, there is no return and Turner
bluntly explains how the fly will never come back from death. Once again,
this shows the theme of legacy and mortality, as beyond death one can
never make a name for themselves, it is only in life that something can be
done worth remembering, and Turner’s blunt language with no euphemisms
is a harsh reminder of this. Furthermore, Turner juxtaposes, ‘thou’ with ‘our’
switching from a direct address to the fly, to a general message to humanity,
and suddenly this change in language imposes on the reader the imminence
of death. ‘our doom is ever near’ reflects a collective, horrible fate that is
‘near’ and approaching humanity, or every person, in this case being death
itself. ‘doom’ is used and a caesura before these words suggests that the
prolonged pause is the poet stressing his message, of how short life is,
which echoes his own worries of creating a legacy whilst imposing of the
reader to make one too, before death takes them, as it is ‘near’. This also
suggests a sense of trepidation and anxiety, the creeping of death frightens
the author and induces anxiety. Therefore, the author uses the theme of
death and mortality, as well as legacy to show how death is inevitable.

Lastly, the poet skillfully creates a memorable effect on the reader, as they
use the semantic field of death and the extended metaphor of a book. ‘peril’
and ‘day by day’ is the author trying to constantly remind the reader, that
this danger, this hazard, and this approaching doom is inescapable. ‘day by
day’ shows it is omnipresent and ubiquitous, no one can ever get rid of the
presence of death, and the author laments this fact, as death is a danger.
‘the’ is a term to increase the magnitude of importance, and to associate this
with ‘peril’ it shows as if this danger, is the only danger one should fear, the
only worry they should have is the concern of death that looms over each
one of us. The author makes it clear, the semantic field of death, ‘peril’,
‘doom’ is the author’s attempt to petrify the reader, which reflects how he is
having an existential crisis over his own works and his mortality, which has a
morose effect, as the fear of death never leaves the poet. Additionally, ‘book
will close upon us’ which is a metaphor, this ‘book’ which crushed the fly, did
truly kill it, but the author compares a book to life, or perhaps death, both
which will end and ‘close’ every persons life. ‘close’ means to finish, and it
shows that perhaps, each life is like a chapter, and just like a book can be
suddenly closed, life can also end just as sporadically. ‘us’ is general, the
poet’s use of general pronous, rather than direct address, is his message to
humanity, this is not a personal concern, but an event that is inevitable to
anyone living. Further, as a book ‘closes’ as story ends, simply like how ones
life story will end, this once again shows how there is no going back and one
must strive to achieve their legacy and build a ‘monument’ in the life
granted. ‘lustre’ means shine, whilst this also is a metaphor, as the fly’s
shiny wings are its ‘lustre’ yet a humans’ lustre is a desire for an
achievement that can outlive death, the author exemplifies how fragile life is,
and to leave something behind, but not anything, something that is lustrous
and amazing, something that is objectively good, and the theme of legacy
repeats itself. The poem ends with a couplet, ‘breath’ and ‘death’ while
‘breath’ maybe a persons last dying breath, this is soon followed with ‘death’
which will inevitably take everyones life. Therefore, the poet follows this
natural pattern, as one draws their final breath and dies, yet the ending of
this poem on the word ‘death’ is a reminder, that death is definite, final and
irreversible. Ultimately, the author ends with the message of death
overcoming anyone and everyone.

In conclusion, the authors uses of existential themes, the semantic field of

death, extended metaphors, and caesura, all make the poem a memorable
piece which exemplifies the importance of leaving a legacy, and no one is
immortal, whilst the poets obsession with mortality is intriguing in itself, as it
echoes their own fear.