A Swarm of Gnats
A Swarm of Gnats - meaning Summary
Ephemeral Collective Joy
The poem watches a vast swarm of gnats dancing in a brief, ecstatic frenzy. Their small, trembling lives celebrate and defy death through intense, communal motion. This transient spectacle is set against ruined kingdoms and lost thrones, suggesting that fleeting, shared joy can seem more vivid and meaningful than long-lasting power or worldly grandeur. The poem values immediacy and collective vitality over historical legacy.
Read Complete AnalysesMany thousand glittering motes Crowd forward greedily together In trembling circles. Extravagantly carousing away For a whole hour rapidly vanishing, They rave, delirious, a shrill whir, Shivering with joy against death. While kingdoms, sunk into ruin, Whose thrones, heavy with gold, instantly scattered Into night and legend, without leaving a trace, Have never known so fierce a dancing.
Translated by James Wright
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