Analysis of the poem Ants (From Dryades) by William Diaper

1. Ants (From
Dryades)
By: William Diaper

2. About the Poet
 William Diaper (1685–
1717) was an English poet
of the Augustan era. Little is
known about his life.
 He was born
in Bridgwater, Somerset an
d attended Balliol
College, Oxford as a
pauper, where he took
his BA in 1702.
 In 1709 he was ordained a
deacon at Wells and
became a curate in the
parish of Brent
 By 1712, he had become a
protégé of Jonathan Swift,
 By the end of the
eighteenth century,
Diaper's work had sunk
into obscurity. His
reputation was revived in
the mid-20th century by
the poet and critic
Geoffrey Grigson.
Diaper's poetry is marked
by its unusual sensitivity
to nature, particularly the
world of sea creatures.

3. About the Poem
 In 1712 Diaper published Dryades, a
topographical poem.
 Topographical poetry or loco-descriptive
poetry is a genre of poetry that describes,
and often praises, a landscape or place.
 The poem provided In this book is an extract
of 2 stanzas (44, and 45) from the original
poem.

4. The Poem
Ants prudent bite the Ends of
hoarded Wheat,
Lest growing Seeds their future
Hopes defeat;
And when they conscious scent
the gath'ring Rains,
Draw down their windy Eggs,
and pilfer'd Grains;
With Summer's Toil, and ready
Viands fill
The deepest Caverns of their
puny Hill;
There lie secure, and hug their
treasur'd Goods,
And safe in labour'd Cells they
mock the coming Floods.
A thousand Kinds unknown in
Forrests breed,
And bite the Leaves, and notch
the growing Weed;
Have each their several Laws,
and settled States,
And constant Sympathies, and
constant Hates;
Their changing Forms no artful
Verse describes,
Or how fierce War destroys the
wand'ring Tribes.
How prudent Nature feeds her
various Young,
Has been (if not untold) at least
unsung.
To th' Insect Race the Muse her
Pain denies,
While prouder Men the little Ant
despise.

5. Vocabulary
 Windy: Puffed up, growing
 Viands: supplies of food
 Kinds: sorts of life, species, types
 Notch: keep score, or count, of
 The Muse: reference to Poetry
 Pain: Careful labor, or efforts

6. Literal Meaning
 These two stanzas describe the world of ants.
 The first stanza describes how ants collect food
and store it so they may grow and survive even
the worst of times.
 The second stanza vividly portrays the intricacies
of ant society, and reaches the conclusion that
although ant society mirrors much of the society of
humans, they have not been deemed worthy to be
mentioned in the Arts.

7. Structure
 Stanza 1 consists of 16 lines following a
simple rhyme scheme of:
AA,BB,CC,DD
 Stanza 2 consists of 20 lines following the
rhyme scheme mentioned above
 Both stanzas display extensive use of
enjambment

8. Uses of Language
 The use of the words “prudent and conscious” create an
atmosphere of franticness and frenzy, which is an accurate
description of the atmosphere of the wilderness.
 The two statements, “puny hill”, and “safe in labour’d cells”.
Show a stark contrast between the perspective of humans and
ants; humans see the hill as fragile and incapable of providing
protection, while ants consider the hill to be a safe haven.
 The phrase “Treasur’d goods” refers to the grains of wheat
pilfered by the ants, and portrays the struggle ants go through to
survive.

9. Literary Devices
 Personification:
Have each their several Laws, and settled States,
And constant Sympathies, and constant Hates;
 Metaphor
Lest growing Seeds their future Hopes defeat;
 Alliteration
settled States,
 Hyperbole
A thousand Kinds unknown in Forrests breed,

10. Moral
 This poem very artfully states that we overlook
many small but important things in life.
 One lesson we can take away from this poem is
that we should learn from even small things like
the ant; we shouldn’t ignore the small things in life
 Since he worked in a Parish, one lesson he gives
is that we should marvel in the glory of the
Creator, and how he provides for all of his
Creations

11. Analyzed by
Idris Shk. Shabbir Nagarwala
&
Erick Opiyo