The Cockroach
I watched a giant cockroach start to pace,
Skirting a ball of dust that road the floor.
At first he seemed quite satisfied to trace
A path between the wainscot and the door,
But soon he turned to jog in crooked rings,
Circling the rusty table leg and back,
And flipping right over to scratch his wings-
As if the victim of a mild attack
Of restlessness that worsened over time.
After a while, he climbed an open shelf
And stopped. He looked uncertain where to go.
Was this due payment for some vicious crime
A former life had led to? I don’t know
Except I thought I recognized myself.
Skirting a ball of dust that road the floor.
At first he seemed quite satisfied to trace
A path between the wainscot and the door,
But soon he turned to jog in crooked rings,
Circling the rusty table leg and back,
And flipping right over to scratch his wings-
As if the victim of a mild attack
Of restlessness that worsened over time.
After a while, he climbed an open shelf
And stopped. He looked uncertain where to go.
Was this due payment for some vicious crime
A former life had led to? I don’t know
Except I thought I recognized myself.
Summary
The speaker's life is compared to that of a cockroach through the use of extended metaphor, starting at childhood and ending at old age.
The speaker's life is compared to that of a cockroach through the use of extended metaphor, starting at childhood and ending at old age.
First section
The first four lines of the poem compare the actions of the cockroach to the childhood of a human. This begins the extended metaphor because the actions of the cockroach throughout the poem resemble the attitudes that a human has as he progresses through the various stages of his life. For example, the fact that the cockroach "seemed quite satisfied to trace a path between the wainscot and the door" shows that the cockroach is happy and carefree just to do what he wants, and is not worried about anything else. The cockroach "skirting a ball of dust" resembles the action of a human child playing with a ball, so this shows that the cockroach starts out just like a human child.
The first four lines of the poem compare the actions of the cockroach to the childhood of a human. This begins the extended metaphor because the actions of the cockroach throughout the poem resemble the attitudes that a human has as he progresses through the various stages of his life. For example, the fact that the cockroach "seemed quite satisfied to trace a path between the wainscot and the door" shows that the cockroach is happy and carefree just to do what he wants, and is not worried about anything else. The cockroach "skirting a ball of dust" resembles the action of a human child playing with a ball, so this shows that the cockroach starts out just like a human child.
Second section
The next clear section of the poem, consisting of four lines, shows the cockroach becoming agitated and stressed. This is shown from the way the cockroach is "circling the rusty table leg and back". The fact that the cockroach is "circling" shows that the cockroach has no clear aim and is trying to decide what to do whilst wandering circles. The cockroach then proceeds to "[flip] right over to scratch his wings", which shows that doesn't know what to do and is trying to do something just for the sake of occupying himself. This part of the poem could represent a teenager or young adult wondering what to do with their lives as they move through high school, college and attempt to get a job.
The next clear section of the poem, consisting of four lines, shows the cockroach becoming agitated and stressed. This is shown from the way the cockroach is "circling the rusty table leg and back". The fact that the cockroach is "circling" shows that the cockroach has no clear aim and is trying to decide what to do whilst wandering circles. The cockroach then proceeds to "[flip] right over to scratch his wings", which shows that doesn't know what to do and is trying to do something just for the sake of occupying himself. This part of the poem could represent a teenager or young adult wondering what to do with their lives as they move through high school, college and attempt to get a job.
Third section
The third part of the poem is likely to represent adulthood and a midlife crisis. This is shown by the fact that the cockroach acts as if he is "the victim of a mild attack of restlessness that worsened over time". The enjambment between these two lines shows that the transition between adolescence and adulthood does not offer relief from any of the previously encountered hardships of aimlessness and restlessness; rather, it only makes them worse. The fact that the cockroach "looked uncertain where to go" after climbing "an open shelf" represents the midlife crisis in a human's life because the cockroach simply has no idea what to do after spending a time in the state of restlessness.
The third part of the poem is likely to represent adulthood and a midlife crisis. This is shown by the fact that the cockroach acts as if he is "the victim of a mild attack of restlessness that worsened over time". The enjambment between these two lines shows that the transition between adolescence and adulthood does not offer relief from any of the previously encountered hardships of aimlessness and restlessness; rather, it only makes them worse. The fact that the cockroach "looked uncertain where to go" after climbing "an open shelf" represents the midlife crisis in a human's life because the cockroach simply has no idea what to do after spending a time in the state of restlessness.
Final line
The last line of the pome breaks the uniform rhyme scheme. The fact that the speaker "thought [he] recognized [himself]" shows that the speaker saw himself and his own life in the cockroach. The break in the rhyme scheme shows that this realization was very sudden and perhaps startling for the speaker. The fact that the speaker is being compared to a cockroach shows that even the life of an insignificant create like a cockroach can be compared to that of a human and as the speaker realizes this, he realizes how futile and insignificant the actions in his own life have been, just like those of the cockroach.
The last line of the pome breaks the uniform rhyme scheme. The fact that the speaker "thought [he] recognized [himself]" shows that the speaker saw himself and his own life in the cockroach. The break in the rhyme scheme shows that this realization was very sudden and perhaps startling for the speaker. The fact that the speaker is being compared to a cockroach shows that even the life of an insignificant create like a cockroach can be compared to that of a human and as the speaker realizes this, he realizes how futile and insignificant the actions in his own life have been, just like those of the cockroach.
Extended metaphor
The poem as a whole is an extended metaphor and compares the life of the speaker that that of a cockroach, as is revealed in the last line. It progresses from a carefree adolescence to a restless adulthood and leads up to the midlife crisis of the speaker. The fact that the speaker is enduring a similar plight to the cockroach is shown from the first line of the poem "I watched a giant cockroach start to pace". Cockroaches are often ignored by humans and the fact that the speaker intently watched one for so long shows that he must have done so out of extreme boredom or aimlessness, similar to what the cockroach was feeling in the later stages of the poem.
The poem as a whole is an extended metaphor and compares the life of the speaker that that of a cockroach, as is revealed in the last line. It progresses from a carefree adolescence to a restless adulthood and leads up to the midlife crisis of the speaker. The fact that the speaker is enduring a similar plight to the cockroach is shown from the first line of the poem "I watched a giant cockroach start to pace". Cockroaches are often ignored by humans and the fact that the speaker intently watched one for so long shows that he must have done so out of extreme boredom or aimlessness, similar to what the cockroach was feeling in the later stages of the poem.