Assay
Summary
In the famous poem “The Spider and the Fly” written in 1829, Mary Howitt writes of a spider who cunningly persuades a fly to visit his parlor through flattery and carefully chosen words. The fly at first resists, but eventually falls prey to vanity, and, when the spider has disappeared, flutters into the parlor, only to be pounced upon and devoured for dinner. On the literal level, the spider uses meiosis to tranquilize the fly’s fears of the web, and all its implications (first and foremost: inevitable doom). By simply referring to it as a “parlour” the spider is able to negate all the negative connotations of a spider’s web, and the actual ramifications of entering such a web: death. A web is where a spider kills and feasts upon its prey, but through meiosis the spider replaces web with parlour, which simply is a place while people drink- thereby not specifying who will be drinking (the spider) and what he’ll be drinking (the spider’s blood). Understanding the cultural and historical context is the single most important factor in determining the underlying meaning of this poem.
Critical analysis
Seth's poem is in the form of a story narrative; a parable that seeks to teach as it speaks. The frog is an unmusical fellow, who nevertheless sings through the night causing his neighbours a lot of discomfort.
He refuses to be cowed by any form of restraint and remains the neighbourhood bully. When the nightingale astounds everybody with her beautiful voice, ther frog found himself jealous and upset with her presence and he set about systematically eliminating his rival through a sinister plot.
Her realises that she has no notion of her abilities. He makes use of that. He makes her believe that he is a maestro and a music critic. He keeps putting her abilities down.
He drives her relentlessly and makes money off her as her 'tutor' as well as from people who wish to listen to her.
Soon she breaks down and dies and the frog rules the roost again. The bog
In the famous poem “The Spider and the Fly” written in 1829, Mary Howitt writes of a spider who cunningly persuades a fly to visit his parlor through flattery and carefully chosen words. The fly at first resists, but eventually falls prey to vanity, and, when the spider has disappeared, flutters into the parlor, only to be pounced upon and devoured for dinner. On the literal level, the spider uses meiosis to tranquilize the fly’s fears of the web, and all its implications (first and foremost: inevitable doom). By simply referring to it as a “parlour” the spider is able to negate all the negative connotations of a spider’s web, and the actual ramifications of entering such a web: death. A web is where a spider kills and feasts upon its prey, but through meiosis the spider replaces web with parlour, which simply is a place while people drink- thereby not specifying who will be drinking (the spider) and what he’ll be drinking (the spider’s blood). Understanding the cultural and historical context is the single most important factor in determining the underlying meaning of this poem.
Critical analysis
Seth's poem is in the form of a story narrative; a parable that seeks to teach as it speaks. The frog is an unmusical fellow, who nevertheless sings through the night causing his neighbours a lot of discomfort.
He refuses to be cowed by any form of restraint and remains the neighbourhood bully. When the nightingale astounds everybody with her beautiful voice, ther frog found himself jealous and upset with her presence and he set about systematically eliminating his rival through a sinister plot.
Her realises that she has no notion of her abilities. He makes use of that. He makes her believe that he is a maestro and a music critic. He keeps putting her abilities down.
He drives her relentlessly and makes money off her as her 'tutor' as well as from people who wish to listen to her.
Soon she breaks down and dies and the frog rules the roost again. The bog