The Silkworms
By Douglas Stewart
All their lives in a box! What generations,
What centuries of masters, not meaning to be cruel
But needing their labour, taught these creatures such patience
That now though sunlight strikes on the eye’s dark jewel
Or moonlight breathes on the wing they do not stir
But like the ghosts of moths crouch silent there.Look, it’s a child’s toy! There is no lid even,
They can climb, they can fly, and the whole world’s their tree.
But hush, they say in themselves, we are in prison.
There is no word to tell them that they are free,
And they are not. Ancestral voices bind them
In a dream too deep for wind or word to find them.Even in the young, each like a little dragon
Rambling and green upon his mulberry leaf,
So full of life, it seems, the voice has spoken:
They hide where there is food, where they are safe,
And the voice whispers, “Spin the cocoon,
Sleep, sleep, you shall be wrapped in me soon.”Now is their hour, when they wake from that long swoon.
Their pale curved wings are marked in a pattern of leaves,
Shadowy for trees, white for the dance of the moon.
And when on summer nights the buddleia gives
Its nectar like lilac wine for insects mating
They drink its fragrance and shiver, impatiently waiting.They stir, they think they will go. They remember
It was forbidden to ever go out;
The hands are on guard outside like claps of thunder,
The ancestral voice says don’t, and they do not.
Still the night calls them to unimaginable bliss
But there is terror around them, the vast abyss.And here is the tribe that they know, in their known place,
They are gentle and kind together, they are safe forever.
And all shall be answered at last when they embrace.
White moth moves closer to another moth, lover to lover.
There is that pang of joy on the edge of dying.
Their soft wings whirr, they dream that they are flying.
Douglas Stewart’s “The Silkworms” is a captivating exploration of life, confinement, and the delicate balance between instinct and perceived freedom. This poem, first published in 1957, offers a profound meditation on the natural world and its surprising parallels to the human experience. Delve into this comprehensive guide to understand the poem’s intricate layers, from its compelling narrative to its masterful use of literary and poetic devices.
Understanding The Silkworms: A Summary and Central Idea
At its heart, “The Silkworms” presents a vivid portrayal of the silkworm’s life cycle, but it quickly transcends a simple biological description to become a deeper commentary on existence itself. The poem opens by highlighting the silkworms’ lifelong confinement within a box, a condition passed down through “generations” and “centuries of masters.” Despite the apparent openness of their environment, the silkworms remain inert, bound by an invisible force. They are described as “ghosts of moths,” passively observing the world around them without stirring.
The central idea of “The Silkworms” revolves around the paradox of perceived freedom versus ingrained instinct and inherited conditioning. The creatures possess the physical capacity to escape their “prison” and embrace “the whole world’s their tree,” yet an “ancestral voice” whispers caution, compelling them to remain. Even the young, vibrant silkworms, “like a little dragon,” are quickly drawn into the cycle of consumption and cocoon spinning. The poem follows their transformation, their “long swoon” into moths, and their brief, hesitant stirrings towards the “unimaginable bliss” of the outside world. Ultimately, they choose the comfort and safety of their known community, finding solace and purpose in reproduction, even “on the edge of dying.” This “The Silkworms summary” reveals a poignant narrative about the choices creatures make, or are compelled to make, between the unknown vastness of freedom and the secure, albeit limited, embrace of tradition and community.
The Silkworms Analysis: Exploring Key Themes
A thorough “The Silkworms analysis” uncovers several profound themes that resonate far beyond the life of an insect.
Confinement Versus Freedom
The most striking theme is the tension between physical confinement and the yearning for freedom. The silkworms live “All their lives in a box,” yet the poem immediately questions this reality:
Look, it’s a child’s toy! There is no lid even,
They can climb, they can fly, and the whole world’s their tree.
Despite this apparent physical liberty, an internal “ancest