Summary
Once the narrator was writing on a white sheet of paper when a tiny dust particle flew over the sheet. Initially, he considered that it had blown off due to his breath but on closer look, he realized that the particle was running here and there and that it was a tiny insect. The insect could think and was trying to save itself. It ran and at times stopped due to the fear of the narrator’s pen. The it reached the area where the narrator had written and the ink was still wet. The insect smelt or drank the ink. It disliked it because it turned and tried to fly away.
The tiny being tried various ways to save itself, its confidence reduced when it realized that it could not save itself. The creature was too small to have feet but it did have a pair with which it ran wildly to save itself. Finally, it bowed to the narrator’s will and surrendered itself in the middle of the sheet.
The narrator was not an animal lover, the type of people who fought for animal rights and showed that they had a lot of love for these beings. He simply felt that the tiny insect was harmless. So, he did not fiddle with it. He let it be there and waited for the insect to go to sleep.
The narrator has the ability to think and he recognizes when he sees the display of intelligence by anyone. This insect’s display of intelligence to save itself is appreciated by the poet.
there was no space for feet in its body but still it had a pair of feet with which it was running. It ran doe to fear and was clever to use different tactics to save itself. The narrator could make out that the insect was afraid because it lacked confidence and at times, it ran with a reluctance. They insect came to the centre of the paper and just remained there as if it has surrendered to the narrator.
Poem:
I have none of the tenderer-than-thou
Collectivistic regimenting love
With which the modern world is being swept.
But this poor microscopic item now!
Since it was nothing I knew evil of
I let it lie there till I hope it slept.
Word meanings:
tenderer-than-thou: more loving / delicate than you are (attitude)
Collectivistic: concerned with some group, class or society, not individuals
Regimenting: something imposed strictly by the state or society
Swept: strongly affected
Microscopic item: almost invisible insect (mite)
Explanation:
The narrator says that he did not have any affection for the insect like a group of people have towards other beings, wherein they try to save and protect them. But, he adds that it was a tiny insect and since it was harmless, the narrator decided to let it be. He did not do anything to it was allowed it to remain there till it wanted to go to sleep.
Poem:
I have a mind myself and recognize
Mind when I meet with it in any guise
No one can know how glad I am to find
On any sheet the least display of mind.
Word meanings:
Mind: Ability to think
Guise: Cover
Display of Mind: show of intelligence
Explanation:
The narrator also has a mind and he can identify another mind maybe which ever form it maybe in. He could even identify that the dust particle was in fact a living mite because its movement indicated that it could think and was deciding its course of action. He was very glad to find the show of such intelligence on the sheet of paper, by the tiny mite.
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