Question

understanding the poem The Spider and the fly

Answer 1

A] Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection,
I 've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry,
a good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome,
will you please to take a slice?
I] Why is the speaker called cunning
Ans. The speaker is called cunning because he flatters the fly and he wants to
dine upon her. He shows false affection towards her.
ii. How does ‘he’ in these lines,try to lure the fly
Ans. He tries to be affectionate to her , he invites her to his pantry and sings a song to praise her beauty.
III. How does the fly react to the offer made by him
Ans. The fly shows no interest in the offers made by the spider and refuses to
accept them.
b. Sweet creature!” said the Spider,
“you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings,
how brilliant are your eyes!
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear,
you shall behold yourself.”
i. Who is this ‘sweet creature’
Ans. The fly is the ‘sweet creature’
ii. Why is the speaker praising her so much
Ans. The speaker is praising her so much because he wants her to be his
prey .He wants to trap and eat her up.
iii. Do you think this creature is really wise. Why or why not
Ans. The creature is not really wise because she comes under the influence
of the spider and falls a victim to his flattery which leads to her death.

c. The Spider turned him round about,
and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly
would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web,
in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready,
to dine upon the Fly.
i. Wht did the speaker turn back into his den
Ans. The speaker turned back into his den because he knew that the silly fly
would surely come back to him. So, he went to his den to weave a subtle
web and set his table ready to dine upon her.

ii. How did he know that the fly would soon be back
Ans. He knew that the silly fly would not be able to resist the temptation after
hearing so many flattering words. So he was sure of her coming back.

iii. Is he able to dine upon the fly How
Ans. Yes, he is able to dine upon the fly as she gets trapped in the web of his
flattery.

Answer 2

These are all the 3 parts of the poem

Hope it helps!!