Be beautiful, noble, like the antique ant,
Who bore the storms as he bore the sun,
Wearing neither gown nor helmet,
though he was archbishop and soldier:
Wore only his own flesh
Salute characters with gracious dignity:
Though what these are is left to
Your own terms. Exact: the universe is
Not so small but these will be found
Somewhere. Exact: they will be found
Speak with great moderation: but think
With great fierceness, burning passion:
Though what the ant thought
No annuals reveal, no his descendants
Break the seal.
Trace the tracelessness of the ant,
Every ant has reached this perfection.
As he comes, so he goes,
Flowing as water flows,
Essential but secret like a rose.
Analysis:
In this poem, the author did not under-estimate the character of an Antique ant, rather, he used it as an ideal object for epitome of what he wants to convey. He used an Ant to be a perfect character of a human being. He believed that to be beautiful and noble, like the antique ant which survives with the heat of the sun, nor even in the storms even without any gears to protect his tiny body. The author made a good comparison between an ant with of the human, reflecting the ant’s characteristic that no matter how small creature they are, they still even manage to help each other, wherein the author wants to suggest something about human character. He also wants to convey that with how the ants look, act or live, that they could even try to reach that “perfect” way of life with their own little way, how much about with the humans who thinks better than any other living things on earth. And that we human beings have the ability to navigate our way of life and so as the difficulties just like how the ant faces them in their own little way.
