The Unsorted BBS Collection/thegreatunsorted.tar/thegreatunsorted/texts/term_papers/fly.txt

Text File | 1993-06-20 | 4KB | 170 lines

                             THE FLY

    In the poem The Fly, much vivid imagery is employed in creating

a graphic  depiction of the housefly as the filthy, disease ridden

scourge of man that it is. The author, having obviously spent a

great deal of time observing and noting the characteristics of the

housefly, creates a vivid summation of his observations and

feelings about his subject. The descriptions and non-subtle

metaphors are unique, to say the least. While the subject matter

may seem too trivial to allow the poem to be taken seriously, it is

nevertheless deserving of study. This poem shows a great deal of

imagination on the part of the author. Few people would undertake

such a detailed literal study of such a lowly creature. The end

result, however, is  an entertaining and unusual perspective on a

universal enemy of mankind.

   The opening stanza sets the stage for the depiction of the fly

in the rest of the poem. The first line, which begins describing

the fly with "O hideous little bat, the size of snot," immediately

introduces the atmosphere of what is to follow. The lines that

follow describe a creature that is lowly and parasitic, yet well

suited to the world it lives in and feeds off of.

   The second stanza depicts the fly flying as a minute messenger

of filth and disease. It is described landing on the heap of dung,

then contaminating all that is clean with its filth and decay. Its

hungry burrowing and laying of maggots in a dead body is described,

as is its perpetual shyness from its adversary, man.

  In the third section, the fly's close interaction with those that

would destroy it is discussed. The horse is shown as being its

mortal enemy, sweeping it with what the fly sees as the hurricane

force of its tail. The author shows how the fly dares to rest on

the hand of its most dangerous adversary then swiftly flies from

his reach, as if taunting him. He shows how the fly dares also to

return to continually harass his opponent.

   The fourth stanza describes the countermeasures employed by men

to destroy the fly. He shows how children try to smash them in

their hands, how wives resort to using poisons to kill the fly, and


how the fly struggles, trapped in sticky flypaper, with his wings

useless unable to carry him off. The author illustrates that the

peace of the man is the death of the fly.

   The fifth, and next to last, stanza shows demonstrates how

passionately the author hates the fly, and the great pleasure he

takes in his destruction. He describes how as a man he mangles and

destroys the tiny fly, crushing him, smashing his minuscule body,

and exposing his vitals. The author shows how his hatred of this

filthy creature is physically displayed.

    The last stanza describes how the author walks as a giant among

the bodies of dead flies strewn across his floor. He describes

sweeping up the bodies of his victims, the sight of which is vomit

inducing. He concludes by describing the image of one convulsively

fighting itself, falling, then dying among three of his kind, which

he describes as "cannibals," as eager to indulge in the flesh of

their own kind as they are to enjoy any other meal.

  The imagery presented in this poem, though somewhat unusual, is

a superb example of how vividly and passionately poetry can




express something, even something as trivial as a man's battle

against the fly. The strong overstatement of this poem also makes

it entertaining. This poem thus creates an interesting effect for

the reader, using this combination of overstatement and descriptive

imagery. This combination results in a highly captivating and

intriguing poem that, if merely for the imagery alone, is
worthwhile reading.