The Fly
Walter De la Mare
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Background
Background
Walter De la Mare was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School. De la Mare was born in Charlton, Kent, England on April 25, 1873 and died in Twickenham, Middlesex, England on June 22, 1956.
Poem and Annotations
Poem and Annotations
How large unto the tiny flyMust little things appear!—A rosebud like a feather bed,Its prickle like a spear;
A dewdrop like a looking-glass,A hair like golden wire;The smallest grain of mustard-seedAs fierce as coals of fire;
A loaf of bread, a lofty hill;A wasp, a cruel leopard;And specks of salt as bright to seeAs lambkins to a shepherd.
A dewdrop like a looking-glass,A hair like golden wire;The smallest grain of mustard-seedAs fierce as coals of fire;
A loaf of bread, a lofty hill;A wasp, a cruel leopard;And specks of salt as bright to seeAs lambkins to a shepherd.
Analysis
Analysis
"The Fly" is a poem about the insignificance of man. In the poem, De la Mare uses a strange allegory of a fly to describe how inferior and miniscule humans really are. He describes the struggles, dangers, and comforts of a fly, and relates them to the human equivalents. This shows how alike we are to one of the weakest animals on earth. Funnily enough, if one changes their perspective to that of a fly, they will realize that much like the fly, humans are not as important as they seem. This poem has a tone of fear and confusion.
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