ipl-logo

Richard Wilbur's 'A Measuring Worm'

1745 Words7 Pages

Ben Segall Segall 1
Gordon Roadcap
Poem Explication Essay

Richard Wilbur's poem "A Measuring Worm" captures the innocence and natural progression of life through the metaphor of a caterpillar. The speaker in the poem observes a yellow-striped green caterpillar as it climbs up a steep window screen, and the simple actions of the creature become an allegory for the speaker's own life. The poem's themes include growth, change, and mortality. The use of poetic devices such as imagery and metaphor, as well as the poem's structure, contribute to the effective conveyance of these themes.
The poem begins with the speaker observing the caterpillar's …show more content…

It reminds us that our journey is a slow and gradual process, and we must persevere through the ups and downs of life, one inch at a time. This message is particularly relevant to our lives, as we all face uncertainty and unpredictability. We often have goals and aspirations, but the path to achieving them is often filled with challenges and obstacles.
Like the measuring worm and the speaker in the poem, we must persevere and stay determined in the face of adversity. We must also remember that personal growth and transformation are slow processes that require patience and perseverance. The quote also encourages us to embrace the unknown and the mysteries of life. We cannot predict what lies ahead, but we can choose to embrace the journey and find beauty in the process. This is a reminder to focus on the present moment and appreciate the small steps we take toward personal growth and self-discovery.
The use of metaphor in the poem is particularly effective in conveying its themes. The caterpillar's journey represents the natural progression of life, and the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly represents growth and change. The poem also contains a sense of mortality, as the caterpillar's journey ultimately leads to its death. The speaker's own journey of growth and change is also uncertain, suggesting that the poem is not just about the caterpillar, but about all of us and the universal experience of

Show More
Related

Conceits In Jenni Rivera's Song 'Mariposa De Barro'

202 Words | 1 Pages

Her pain in color, neighborhood butterfly.” Rivera references a caterpillar’s transformation to her transformation, both mentally and physically. A = Rivera’s everyday struggles and B = the caterpillar. Just as a butterfly starts off as a caterpillar, Rivera started off as a weak minded struggled person.

Read More

Analysis Of Winter Saturday Earle Birney

397 Words | 2 Pages

"Winter Saturday" poet Earle Birney uses descriptive metaphors to compare farmers to caterpillars, as they leave their homes in the cold winter season. Through these comparisons the author makes great effort to show the similarities between humans and nature. The alliteration "Furred from the farmhouse" (line 1) as well as the simile “Like caterpillars from wood" (line 2) expresses resemblance on how humans, insects, and other species of nature leave hibernation into the cold.

Read More

Similarities Between The Death Of The Moth And Annie Dillard

564 Words | 3 Pages

In spite of the fact that the Polyphemus moth “[heaves] himself down the asphalt driveway...unwavering” (Dillard), in the end, death will claim the moth, just not yet. Woolf’s moth, however, passes away in mid-September, Unlike the Polyphemus moth, Woolf’s moth is given assistance by the narrator ’s pencil but still “could [not]...raise himself” (Woolf). The contrasting perspectives of the different works reveal the innocence and desperation during the beginning of a struggle and the wise acceptance and defeat at the end of life. Dillard’s subjective connection with the Polyphemus moth is emotional while Woolf’s intellectual objective examination of the moth’s death is

Read More

Summary Of Death Of The Moth By Annie Dillard

670 Words | 3 Pages

In Annie Dillard’s “The Death of the Moth” essay, she discusses the death of a moth that symbolizes death. She is curious about her own and the impact of it so she wrote this piece using a moth to represent the value of life. She uses the moth as a symbol to indicate no matter the size of an organism, large or small, it still has an impact on those around it and still has a role to complete after its death. She uses very descriptive details to give a vivid mental image of her surroundings and the burning of the moth in the fire.

Read More

Comparing Individuality In Othello And The Breakfast Club

827 Words | 4 Pages

Applying this quote to my own life would mean that those around me will never see me as a changed person but will only see me grow into a more complete version of

Read More

Symbolism In All Quiet On The Western Front

680 Words | 3 Pages

Paul and his buddies come across a group of butterflies in a field early in the novel, which they pursue and capture. The beauty and fragility of butterflies contrast sharply with the violence and cruelty of war, emphasizing the value of life and the sadness of its loss. Paul reflects on this contrast, saying, “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow”. In the middle of the destruction and chaos of the battlefield, the narrator describes the trenches and is stunned by the sight of a butterfly: “One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench. They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings.

Read More

Explanation Of Egg Horror Poem By Laurel Winter

490 Words | 2 Pages

“ they jostle in there compartments trying for tiny dark veined cracks not enough to hurt much”. (10-11) the author uses onomatopoeia to give the voices and movement of the eggs to seem as though they are humans. This poem held my attention from beginning to the end through the use of figurative language. The meaning of figurative language is a meaning that is different from literal interpretation.

Read More

Death Of A Moth Metaphors

153 Words | 1 Pages

She argues that all living beings are subject to the same cycle of birth, growth, and decay and that ultimately, death is the only certainty. By using the metaphor of the moth's struggle to escape the window, Woolf highlights

Read More

Paul Fleischman's Poem 'Cicadas'

1021 Words | 5 Pages

As the poem closes, the excitement hits a high with the insects “joyful noise”

Read More

Analysis Of The Death Of A Toad By Richard Wilbur

425 Words | 2 Pages

In “The Death Of A Toad” by Richard Wilbur, Richard Wilbur uses various poetic devices in order to bring across the idea of death and its different features. Some of the poetic devices used by Richard Wilbur are rhyme scheme, symbolism, and simile. Wilbur uses these specific devices in order to make his point that there are two ways people see death which is that “they are no longer suffering and are at peace” and the “hard times and tribulation” during the grieving stage. Richard Wilbur uses the rhyme scheme aabcbc throughout his entire poem in order to follow the structure of a poem but also to convey the idea that there are two different aspects always taken when speaking about death. Wilbur uses rhyme scheme in the last two words of his

Read More

Joan Chittister's Legacy

1603 Words | 7 Pages

I found this quote very deep. To me this is saying to not fret over the little things in life. What seems like a big deal now, may truly be a small deal. The article goes on to say that we dedicated our lives to these things, but we now know many of these things are little things and are at peace with this

Read More

Death Of The Moth Rhetorical Analysis

725 Words | 3 Pages

The moth which was once full of life, and excitement, was knocked over, and battles death to find its way upright. As the moth struggles to right itself, Woolf says, “The unmistakable tokens of death showed themselves.” The inanimate force of death is being represented as something animate, in a way personifying, that is causing a physical toll on the moth. Woolf uses this metaphor to show death as an object, which can consume life, and in this case, the moth. As we just knew the moth as a Lively, and nimble , we know know the moth as life that is weakening so rapidly.

Read More

College Admissions Essay: What Is Your Legacy To Me?

544 Words | 3 Pages

Education and creativity is one of my big factors of growth. Its very important to me to have an education because that’s how you have knowledge, without knowledge no one can have an education to give a point of view in life. ”Without growth and self success, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. This quote explains, that education affect lives, whether it’s physically or mentally. The goals in my 8th grade year are graduating the year with high honor roll, making my family/peers proud, and setting a good example to others.

Read More

Lewis Carroll Research Paper

1031 Words | 5 Pages

He uses dialogue in this poem to make a conversation between the characters in the story. The poem is also being told by Alice to the Mock turtle and the Gryphon. The poem is about a lobster telling a story about how he baked and saw a panther and owl dining. “I passed by his garden, and marked with one eye, How the Owl and Panther were sharing a pie.” (“Tis the Voice of The Lobster,” 1886)

Read More

For Poets Poem Analysis

574 Words | 3 Pages

In the poem “For Poets”, by Al Young, the theme is the challenge of stepping out of your comfort zone and seizing moments in life. Young expands and argues his theme through the literary devices used in the poem. These literary devices include symbolism, hyperbole, and metaphor. Al Young portrays life’s obstacles, our society’s attitude towards self expression, and experiencing nature. In conclusion, life is a big obstacle and in order to live it, you must go out of your comfort zone and try your best to give it all you’ve

Read More

More about Richard Wilbur's 'A Measuring Worm'

Related Topics

Open Document