Poems about insects delve into the fascinating world of these tiny creatures. They celebrate the diversity of insect life, marveling at their intricate anatomy and behavior.
Through whimsical descriptions, poets draw readers into the microcosm of insects, inviting them to see these creatures in a new light. These verses may also explore the role of insects in ecological balance, highlighting their significance in pollination, decomposition, and as a food source for other animals.
Through their poetry, writers encourage readers to appreciate the often-overlooked beauty and importance of the insect kingdom.
‘The Fly’ by William Blake serves as a meditation on the cycles of life and death that bind all living things.
The fly serves as a crucial symbol, representing all creatures subject to life's unpredictability. It forces the speaker to confront the realities of existence, not just for humans but for all living beings. The use of an insect in this context enriches the poem’s thematic scope.
The poem ‘Lepidoptera’ is a metaphorical representation of a mentally ill mind, likened to a broken butterfly wing. The poet is imploring society to support those with mental illness.
In this poem, Richard de Zoysa uses insects, specifically butterflies, as a metaphor for the human mind. The title of the poem, which is the scientific name for butterflies and moths, emphasizes this metaphor. Throughout the poem, de Zoysa depicts the fragile and fleeting nature of the butterfly/mind, highlighting the importance of treating it with care and compassion.
On broken butterfly wing,
your crippled mind fluttered into my schoolroom. Failed. And died.
‘The Beekeeper’ by Liz Lochhead is a poem which explores the poet’s relationship with beekeeping and where their love for it came from.
Insects - specifically bees - are the main characters of the poem. The stanzas describe the movements of the bees and the daily life that they lead. The poet shows the bee's relationship to nature and discusses their own feelings toward them.
‘Fame is a bee’ by Emily Dickinson uses a bee to describe the fleeting nature of fame. She uses clever images and original poetic writing throughout.
The bee is brilliantly rendered in this poem and it is undeniably a fine example of a poem that depicts insects. Even the brevity of the poem seemingly reflects the brief lifespan of insects like bees. The only thing holding it back from being one of the greatest ever poems about insects is the fact the bee is used as a device to better expose fame and is thus not the center of the poem's attention in the same way.
‘On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book’ muses over the inevitability of death and the importance of leaving behind a meaningful legacy.
More than a few lines of verse have been inspired by a poet's encounter with a fly, imagined or not. When Turner makes the seemingly mundane discovery that he's unknowingly killed an insect, they do not gloss over the event but choose to devote an entire sonnet to its demise. This of course accentuates the humbling reality that death can come for anyone and anything at any time.
‘A Swarm Of Gnats’ by Hermann Hesse is a devastating poem that presents a group of insects as a compelling foil for humanity.
A core topic of this poem by Hermann Hesse is insects, in particular, a swarm of gnats. The image of which that's conjured by the speaker is greatly unnerving and yet also characterized by a certain admiration. Hesse uses the insects as an unlikely foil for humanity, revealing our inadequacies and illusions over our own history.
‘Equinox’ by Elizabeth Alexander is a heartfelt poem about death and how all living things are forced to contend with it. The speaker uses a creative metaphor comparing bees on the equinox to her grandmother.
The first very important image in this poem is that of eccentric bees that fly in circles, like dervishes, and generally behave in a confusing manner. They know what time of year it is and that the fall equinox means that their lives are coming to a close.
‘The Flea’ by John Donne is the poet’s most famous poem. In it, he uses one of his brilliant conceits to convince his love to sleep with him.
This poem centers around a flea, which becomes the speaker’s unusual yet clever proof for his argument. The insect is not just a passing detail but a symbol that drives the conversation, turning something ordinary into the focus of a witty and playful persuasion. By giving the flea such importance, the poem shows how even the smallest element can hold surprising weight in the context of language and persuasion.
There are two poems by the title ‘To a Butterfly’ in William Wordsworth’s 1807 poetry collection, “Poems, in Two Volumes.” The first poem is the best-known in comparison to the latter one.
The butterfly represents the freedom and beauty of nature and serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing every moment of life. The speaker's invitation to the butterfly to rest in his orchard ground highlights the importance of creating a harmonious relationship between humans and insects.
‘The cry of the cicada’ by Matsuo Bashō is a thoughtful poem that evokes images of summer and reminds readers about the inevitability of death.
Insects, including the cicada, hold symbolic significance in Bashō's poetry. They represent nature and life while serving as metaphors for the human experience. By incorporating insects into his verses, Bashō highlights the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world.
Paterson’s ‘A Ballad of Ducks’ uses wild storytelling to show how absurd it is to rely on ducks during a grasshopper plague.
This poem is just as focused on insects as it is on ducks. One can even argue perhaps more so. The poem tells of two waves of grasshopper infestation, with the second being even worse than the first. The entire region, unlike with the first wave, is adversely affected by the number of hoppers that descend on them. Not only are the farmers' crops eaten this time, but other works (example: culinary work) are put on hold afterwards. Paterson highlights the dangers of insect infestations, as the residents have no real means of retaliation or protection.
‘Upon A Wasp Chilled With Cold’ sees the narrator observing the natural world in the first half and the second half is almost in the form of a prayer as he hopes to be able to continue seeing God’s work around him and to feel God’s loving influence.
This poem intricately depicts a wasp’s revival from cold, highlighting the insect’s resilience and delicate movements. The wasp symbolizes nature’s wisdom and divine design, portraying it as a complex, graceful creature, embodying survival and the intricate beauty inherent in even the smallest beings.
Charles Baudelaire’s ‘A Carcass’ intertwines beauty and decay, startling the readers through graphic imagery.
The insects contribute to the overall portrayal of decay, illustrating the interconnectedness of life and death in the perpetual cycle orchestrated by the forces of nature. The buzzing blow-flies, black battalions of maggots, and worms serve as agents of decomposition, emphasizing the inevitability of death and the cyclical nature of life. The poem highlights the insects' role as transformative elements in the grand scheme of nature.
‘The Spider and the Fly’ by Mary Howitt describes the entrapment of a silly fly who gives into her own vanity and loses her life to a cunning spider.
The fly, like the spider, is a major part of this poem. The poem focuses on the fly's vanity and how, with only a few flattering words, the spider is able to convince the fly that it means no harm.
"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,
"'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to shew when you are there."
‘On the one-ton temple bell’ by Yosa Buson is a beautiful haiku. It describes a moonmoth sleeping on a temple bell.
The mention of the moonmoth in this poem adds to the overall mood of peacefulness and suggests a connection to nature. The fact that the moth is sitting on a giant metal bell is what makes this poem so interesting and popular.
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