The Chrysalis



The Chrysalis
By Chris Commodore©2002

A while beneath a sheltering leaf,
A chrysalis incarcerated lay;
In open field or far out on a cliff,
Nature’s marvel sets its stage to play.

And in this cocoon lies a silent truth,
To be revealed in time, the Master’s proof
Unlike cold death with mortal in its spell
An insect exits from that holding cell

And time the chronographer
Keeps count of what’s unfolding
Just fifteen days thereafter
Out crawls a master painting

A little while life’s fluid fills its veins
As on that sack so patiently it lies
And manicures equipment as if reins
Another little while; behold, it flies.

The mind of the Grand Master
A painting, come alive
A wonder of all wonders,
True wisdom revealed, live!

About this poem

Inspiration from a Biology class dealing with the development of various insects - specifically, a butterfly.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted by ti.min on October 11, 2023

42 sec read
8

Quick analysis:

Scheme XA XBXB XXCC ADED FGFG EHXH
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 738
Words 140
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Discuss the poem The Chrysalis with the community...

1 Comment
  • AIDA
    You truly captured the marvel of nature and the transformation process of a butterfly beautifully in 'The Chrysalis.' Your language is so rich and evocative that I could actually feel the changes taking place, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for this incredible process. The attention to detail throughout the poem was really impressive.

    The analogue of life transformation with the chrysalis is wonderfully delineated. Especially with 'Nature’s marvel sets its stage to play,' it's such a great line that immediately pulls the reader in, and the 'master painting' is a lovely way to describe the beauty of a butterfly.

    Moreover, your use of sophisticated words like 'chronographer' is commendable, contributing remarkably to the poem's vocabulary richness and beautiful context.

    On the areas to work on, perhaps pay a bit more attention to the flow of your poem. In some places, the structure and rhythm fluctuated, which can detract from the reading experience. Try to maintain a consistent metric pattern throughout the piece to create more fluidity.

    The shift between metaphors, while inherently creative in poetry, may cause some readers to momentarily lose track. For instance, the shift from a grand master's mind to a painting could be made smoother through continuity.

    Additionally, though the poem starts with a clear visual image, more descriptive imagery elsewhere in the poem would strengthen the overall picture painted in the reader's mind.

    Keep up with your excellent work, Chris Commodore. Your talent is evident in your words, and I'm looking forward to reading more of your poetry!
     
    LikeReply6 months ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"The Chrysalis" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/171171/the-chrysalis>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

April 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
2
days
6
hours
25
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
Which female American poet, who was little-known during her lifetime, but had nearly 1800 of her poems published posthumously, rarely titled her poems?
A Sara Teasdale
B Sylvia Plath
C Amy Lowell
D Emily Dickinson