Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

William Cullen Bryant's "To A Mosquito" is a surprisingly witty and ironic poem that transforms the trivial annoyance of a mosquito into a subject of poetic reflection. This juxtaposition alone makes the poem stand out stylistically and thematically.

Bryant adopts a tone of mock reverence toward the mosquito, referring to it as "Fair insect!" and speaking about its "gauzy wings" and "slender voice." Such elevated language typically reserved for poetic subjects of grandeur like love, beauty, or nature adds humor and irony to the poem. The poet's choice to deploy a mock-heroic style is a clever one; it engages the reader with its unexpectedness while also diving into complex discussions about human behavior, social class, and even poetry itself. The phraseology that attributes majestic traits to an ordinarily irritating creature like a mosquito displays Bryant's skill in manipulating poetic conventions.

Structurally, the poem is well-organized, presenting the mosquito's journey from its birthplace to the city in a coherent narrative, while also pausing to allow for descriptions and digressions that bring out the mosquito's character and supposed dilemmas. This narrative structure is versatile enough to carry the different themes and tones that Bryant employs, from irony to satire to genuine reflection.

Bryant's poem reflects the socio-cultural norms and manners of his time, particularly in its references to "rouge," "China bloom," and "Rowland's Kalydor." These references to beauty products used in Bryant's era serve as a critique of vanity and artificiality, suggesting that the superficiality of society makes even the mosquito's natural quest for sustenance a tragicomic endeavor. The reference to "alderman" and "men for whom, in ocean's halls, / The oyster breeds, and the green turtle sprawls" is a clear comment on social class. Bryant suggests that the rich, filled with "generous wine and costly meat," are more suitable targets for the mosquito, echoing societal critiques.

From a historical perspective, the poem can be seen as a playful but sharp critique of early 19th-century American society. Bryant, like his fellow Romantic poets, was deeply concerned with the natural world, but he was also a keen observer of society. "To A Mosquito" engages with the cultural and social mores of his time, employing a mosquito's perspective to illuminate human vanity, social inequality, and even the challenges and ironies of the poetic vocation.

In lines like "Thou'rt welcome to the town but why come here / To bleed a brother poet, gaunt like thee?" the speaker identifies himself as a "brother" to the mosquito, both of them struggling artists in their own domains, making a living through their craft. This self-referential moment speaks to the conditions of the poet and adds another layer of complexity to the work, revealing Bryant's clever use of the mosquito as a mirror, however distorted, to human and poetic conditions.

"To A Mosquito" is a tour de force of style, structure, and thematic complexity, all wrapped up in an ironic narrative that challenges the reader's expectations about what a poem-and its subjects-can be.

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