Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - 5:31 PM EST

Remember to try to break down the metaphysical conceit. What is the spider, the fly, the wasp, etc? And what is the metaphysical point that he is trying to explore/explain here?

Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - 5:34 PM EST

Rembember to break down the metaphysical conceit--what do all of these things symbolize (the spider, the fly, etc.)and what is the metaphysical point/conclusion he's making?

Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - 11:06 PM EST

This poem was more difficult to understand for me, than the one we reviewed in class today.

After reading it through twice I got the idea of the spider standing for a normal everyday person. Just like you and me. A sinner who can do both bad and good.

The wasp represented a stronger more powerful person [or maybe God]. Someone that the spider is more likely to be nice to in order for the wasp to be nice to it. And bring no harm to it or it's "net" [maybe the spiders life or existence].

The fly might be a weaker person; someone the spider could easily bring down to make himself feel better.

To me this poem in it's entirety seems to show the battle of good and evil. How people will sometimes hurts other worse off than them for self-esteem. Then again there is always that person out there that could do the same to you. So that brings up the topic of faux emotions and sinning. Even though you may despise the one who can ruin your life you are nice, welcoming, and gentle with them. In hope to bring you the good fortune of them being merciful. When you know that you would most likely not derserve it for that one "fly" you treat so badly.

That's kinda all I can think of right now.
Your student.
-magen.

Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - 11:06 PM EST

Well, this poem was a bit difficult to interpret at first, but I think I figured it out. I think "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly" is about humans, sin, and greed. I believe when he writes "To Catch a Fly, For why?" (4-5), he is asking why we do the things we do. He is asking why we get caught up in things. The last stanza is definitely talking about sin when it mentions Adam. I think we (humans) are the spider. Flies are things we want and the web is just our greed in general. We keep grabbing for things that we really don't need, and thus sinning.

Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - 11:55 PM EST

This poem was a little confusing. I read it a couple of times, and I have to agree with the comments above. I think the web is kind of the things we get “caught” in in our lives. The spider might be the devil, trying to get us to sin, or go into the web. The wasp seems to be safe because he has the stinger, and cannot get caught. I am not quite sure about the ending. That is all I have for my expert opinion.

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - 12:13 AM EST

it took me some time to figure this poem out but i think i get it now.

my interpretation is that the web is sin, the spider it satan, the wasp is the person who is strong in their faith, and the fly is the weak one. Basically the poem says that the wasp may sin but he/she is strong enough to resist the devil and not be consumed by sin were as the fly is the weak one is easly consumed by sin and satan. Also this poem gives a warning in the 6th stanza that if you are not srong enough to resist sin like the wasp you will be consumed by sin and will fall unless you call apon God.

So there is my interpitation hope you liked it and im out
Peace.

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - 2:07 AM EST

The best way to describe this assignment is tricky, very tricky. I could be completely off in my explication, but, all of this according to Puritan beliefs, my guess would be that the spider represents God. How can this be? Well... assuming that God created everything and controls everything, such as I understand the Puritans to have believed, this may be represented in the poem by, “Is this thy play, / To spin a web out of thyselfe” (2-3). The wasp in this poem then represents the Elect, the net represents the predetermined path to Hell, and the fly represents those destined to Hell.

The wasp represents the Elect because the Elect don’t go to Hell, and it doesn’t get caught in the net (or the predetermined path to Hell). The poem says that the wasp doesn’t get caught in the net through the line, “Whom yet thy whorle pins did not clasp” (8). A “pettish wasp” (6) represents a bad-tempered Elect that Taylor saw sin, represented by, “I saw... / Fall foule...” (6-7), but was not caught in the net because the person was an Elect. The Puritans’ belief of God’s predestined plan says that the Elect are going to Heaven, so the wasp, or Elect, has a ‘defense’ against Hell, which is “His sting” (10). The wasps’ stingers would then be the representations God’s Grace upon the Elect, being predetermined to go to Heaven.

The wasp also represents the Elect because it is treated kindly by the spider (God), shown by, “Thus gently him didst treate” (16). The Elect still must be wary and respectful of God because of his power, as stated by, “Should greatly fret / Thy net.” (19-20)

The non-Elects’ predetermination of going to Hell is stated in the poem by “Whereas the silly Fly (the non-Elect), / Caught by its leg” (21-22) in the net (the path to Hell). That the non-Elects are treated poorly by God, and again that they are destined or doomed to Hell is shown in the poem by, “Thou by the throate tookst hastily, / And ‘hinde the head / Bite Dead.” (23-25)

The non-Elects are those who don’t have an intrinsic quality to know God’s truth, meaning to me that they are the ones who haven’t been chosen to go to Heaven. This is stated by, “This goes to pot, that not / Nature doth call.” (26-27) The non-Elects will fail in any attempt to avoid going to Hell because their struggle is against a strength they don’t measure up to in any means, God. This is shown in the lines, “Strive not above what strength hath got / Lest in the brawle / Thou fall.” (28-30)

Attempting to avoid going to Hell is pointless because God predetermines who is going to Heaven and Hell because of the sins they will or will not commit (again, using the Puritans’ beliefs). The predetermined, or ‘set’, final destinations of the Elect and non-Elect alike are represented in the poem by “His intrails spun to whip Cords thus / And wove to nets / And sets.” (33-35) Those that are predetermined to go to Hell because of their sins are represented by Him setting the nets “To tangle Adams race” (36) to send the non-Elects “To their Destructions... / By venom things / Damn’d Sins.” (38-40)

A person who is believed to be non-Elect may become an Elect if he or she receives God’s Grace, or some kind of sign from Him. This is said in the poem by “But mighty, Gracious Lord / Communicate / Thy Grace to breake the Cord” (41-43). If God tells you you’re an Elect, then He will provide you with a good life and you will go to Heaven, as I understand to be stated in the poem, “...afford / Us Glorys Gate / And State.” (43-45)

In the last stanza, I interpret the poem as saying the Elect will sing praise to God when they have passed on to Heaven for their joy in being the chosen.

Interpretation is an individual’s own explanation of meaning or conception of significance, so this is just my own long analysis/best guess after plenty of thought.

...yea, I spent wayyyy too much time on this.........
(I probably have way too many commas, ohh well)

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - 2:11 AM EST

Then again, that’s just my feeble understanding of it...

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - 9:58 AM EST

I found this very hard to read at 2am but after awhile I started getting the idea of it. The spider was the person who can do good and evil. He represebts the everyday sinner from his point of view. I believe the wasp was god and you had to be nice or else because he determines who lives and dies in his universe. The spider was weak charater out of all of these. I thought the poem was very good and made me think of the everyday sturggles that we go through.

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 - 10:25 AM EST

Well last night it took me a long time to figure thisout.

I was tired when i read it but here i go. The wasp is like a human in the world today. the web would be sin of the human. the spider is like satan. the spider is tryin to suck the wasp in but the wasp is to strong with his stinger. the stinger would represent faith in this.