The poem uses 'winding stair' metaphorically for the path (web) into the spider's parlour; the spider promises various 'curious things' and later specifically a looking-glass to tempt the fly.
a) The fly can reach the spider's parlour by going up a winding stair, which is actually the spider's web. The spider uses this metaphorical language to make the web sound attractive and inviting rather than dangerous. b) The fly is told she will see many curious things in the parlour, including the spider's pretty room and its various curiosities. The spider specifically mentions a looking-glass or mirror on the parlour shelf, which he uses as bait to entice the fly into his trap. These promises of beautiful and interesting things are part of the spider's cunning strategy to lure the unsuspecting fly into his web.
The fly's refusal shows caution; the 'pantry' implies food/traps prepared by the spider to catch insects.
a) No, the little Fly refuses to enter the spider's pantry. She politely but firmly declines the spider's invitation, showing that she is aware of the danger. b) The pantry likely contains the spider's prey, including trapped insects and other victims that the spider has caught. It may also contain the spider's food stores and various traps designed to capture unsuspecting insects. The fly's knowledge of what is in the pantry suggests she has heard warnings or stories about the spider's dangerous lair and understands the fate that awaits her if she enters.
The spider's adjectives are flattering phrases intended to manipulate the fly into entering his parlour.
a) The spider uses several flattering words to describe the fly. He calls her 'sweet creature' and praises her as 'witty and wise'. He also compliments her physical appearance, describing her 'gauzy wings' as beautiful and her 'eyes' as brilliant. These words are carefully chosen to appeal to the fly's vanity and make her feel special and appreciated. b) The spider says the fly is witty not because he genuinely believes it, but as part of his cunning strategy to gain her trust and lower her guard. By flattering the fly and calling her intelligent, the spider attempts to make her feel confident and valued, which makes her more likely to accept his invitation. This is manipulative flattery used as a tool of deception. The spider's true intention is to lure the fly into his parlour and trap her in his web, so his praise is insincere and calculated rather than genuine recognition of her intelligence.
Den = secret trap; spider's confidence comes from knowing flattery will tempt the vain, curious fly.
a) The poet uses the word 'den' to describe the spider's web because a den is a hidden lair or underground dwelling associated with predatory animals. By calling the web a 'den,' the poet emphasizes that it is a dangerous, concealed space where the spider waits to ambush unsuspecting prey. The word carries connotations of threat, darkness, and entrapment, highlighting the spider's predatory nature and the deadly purpose of what appears to be merely a pretty parlour. This choice of language reinforces the poem's theme that danger often hides behind attractive appearances. b) The spider was confident that the fly would return because he had successfully flattered her vanity and appealed to her pride. He had praised her wit, her beautiful wings, and her brilliant eyes, and had even offered to show her a looking-glass to admire her own reflection. The spider understood that the fly's vanity and curiosity would overcome her initial caution and fear. He knew that his carefully chosen words of praise and his promise of admiration would prove irresistible to her, making her forget the warnings and return to the parlour despite the danger.
Context makes clear 'she' is the fly; the line shows her vanity and preoccupation with appearance.
a) 'She' refers to the little fly, the main character of the poem who is being lured by the spider's flattery. b) She was thinking only of her own brilliant eyes and her green and purple coloured appearance, admiring her own beauty. She was so absorbed in thinking about how attractive she looked that she paid no attention to the danger that awaited her in the spider's parlour. Her vanity and self-admiration made her careless and distracted her from any warning signs or caution she should have exercised. This shows how the spider's flattery had successfully made her focus entirely on her own beauty rather than on protecting herself from harm.
The narrator warns readers (especially children) against trusting flattering speech that conceals harmful intentions.
a) 'I' refers to the poet or narrator of the poem, who is addressing the readers directly and offering them moral guidance. b) The advice given to the readers is to never pay attention to idle, silly flattering words and not to be deceived or misled by them. The poet is warning children to be cautious and skeptical of excessive praise and compliments, especially from people whose true intentions may be hidden or harmful. The message is that flattery is often used as a tool of deception, and one should rely on wisdom and caution rather than being swayed by sweet words that appeal to vanity or pride.
Character points: cunning, deceptive, flattering, patient, manipulative, selfish; supported by his repeated polite invitations and flattery in the poem.
The spider is a character of cunning intelligence, deceit, and calculated patience. He is highly manipulative, using flattery and false kindness as weapons to achieve his predatory goals. The spider is skilled at reading the fly's weaknesses, particularly her vanity and pride, and he exploits these vulnerabilities with carefully chosen compliments about her wit, beauty, and brilliant eyes. He presents himself as polite, courteous, and friendly, inviting the fly to visit his parlour and even offering to show her a looking-glass so she can admire her own reflection. However, beneath this veneer of politeness lies a cruel and selfish motive: to trap and devour the fly. The spider is confident and deliberate in his approach, knowing that his words will eventually overcome the fly's resistance and caution. He represents the danger of hypocrisy and the threat posed by those who hide malicious intentions behind smooth, honeyed words. His character serves as a warning about the power of deception and the importance of seeing beyond surface charm to discern true character and intent.
Uses poem examples: spider's repeated compliments, offering a looking-glass, fly's vanity leading her to approach the trap and be captured.
If we fall prey to flattery, we risk being deceived and harmed by those with hidden, malicious intentions. The poem 'The Spider and the Fly' provides a clear illustration of this danger through the fly's tragic experience. The spider begins by flattering the fly, calling her witty and praising her beautiful wings and brilliant eyes. He even offers to show her a looking-glass so she can admire her own appearance, deliberately appealing to her vanity. Although the fly initially refuses his invitation and shows some caution, the spider's persistent and skillful flattery gradually wears down her resistance. She becomes increasingly curious and vain, forgetting to be wary of danger. Eventually, she approaches the spider's parlour and becomes trapped in his web, falling victim to his cunning trap. The poem demonstrates that flattering words can mask cruel intentions and that when we allow praise to cloud our judgment, we may ignore warning signs and walk directly into danger. The fly's downfall shows how flattery exploits our natural desire to be admired and appreciated, making us vulnerable to manipulation by those who wish to harm us.
Parlour: attractive but deceptive setting (web, winding stair, curios, looking-glass). Fly: attractive physical features (gauzy wings, brilliant eyes, green/purple hue) and vain disposition.
a) The spider's parlour is described as an extremely pretty and inviting room that is reached by climbing a winding stair, which serves as a metaphor for the intricate threads of the spider's web. The parlour is filled with curious and attractive things that appeal to the fly's sense of wonder and beauty. Most notably, there is a looking-glass on the shelf, which the spider uses as bait to tempt the fly by promising her the chance to admire her own reflection. The parlour appears to be a cosy, welcoming, and elegant space, creating an illusion of safety and comfort. However, this attractive appearance masks its true deadly purpose: it is a carefully constructed trap from which escape is impossible. The description of the parlour emphasizes the poem's central theme that danger and death can hide behind beautiful and inviting exteriors. b) The fly is depicted as a small, delicate creature with gauzy wings that shimmer as she flies. She has brilliant eyes that sparkle with intelligence and curiosity. Her body displays striking colours, particularly shades of green and purple hue, making her visually attractive and eye-catching. The fly is vain and takes pride in her appearance, which makes her susceptible to the spider's compliments about her beauty and wit. Her delicate nature and her preoccupation with her own appearance make her vulnerable to the spider's manipulation, as she becomes so absorbed in admiring herself that she loses sight of the danger surrounding her.
Filled blanks with context-appropriate words from the poem: invitation, invites, prettiest, wary, friend, comfort/seat, refused, flattery, wings and eyes, wit, looking-glass, tempted, victim, flattery.
The poem begins with the spider's invitation of the fly. He invites the fly to come into its home. The spider describes his parlour as the prettiest one. The spider kindles the curiosity of the fly so that she may enter his home. Fortunately, the fly was wary and refused to get into his home. Now the spider pretends to be a friend and asks her to come and rest in his home. He offers her comfort and a seat to rest. This time also the fly politely refused the spider's offer. The next weapon that the spider uses is flattery. The spider praises the wings and eyes of the fly and also praises her wit. He invites her to look at herself in the looking-glass which is in his parlour. The fly is tempted by the words of the spider and she falls a victim to his flattery.
Both words begin with the 'p' sound, creating alliteration.
The words that create alliteration in the line 'T'is the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy' are 'prettiest' and 'parlour,' both of which begin with the 'p' sound. This repetition of the initial 'p' consonant sound in neighbouring words creates a pleasing, rhythmic effect that makes the line memorable and emphasizes the attractiveness of the spider's parlour, which is central to the poem's theme of deceptive beauty.
The repeated 'n' (and the 'r') sound in 'near' and 'nearer' is an example of consonance.
One instance of consonance from the poem is 'near and nearer drew,' where the 'n' consonant sound is repeated in the neighbouring words 'near' and 'nearer.' This repetition of the similar consonant sound creates a musical quality and emphasizes the fly's gradual movement closer to the spider's web, making the approach seem inevitable and drawing the reader's attention to this crucial moment in the poem.
The vowel sound in 'Sweet' and the first syllable of 'creature' creates assonance.
One instance of assonance from the poem is 'Sweet creature,' where the long 'ee' vowel sound is repeated in the neighbouring words 'Sweet' and 'creature.' This repetition of the similar vowel sound creates a soft, melodious effect that makes the spider's words sound gentle and appealing, which is ironic because he is using these sweet-sounding words to deceive and trap the fly.
Common moral statement: trust is essential for friendship or relationship; 'friendship' completes the sentence meaningfully.
friendship
Completes the moral idea that genuine trust is uncommon; fits the lesson of the poem.
Trust is a very rare thing to find in life.
Corrected sentence: "When people betray you, learn from the experience." (Fill the blank with 'experience' — meaning learn the lesson from that event.)
experience.
"Don't let small bumps in the road throw you back."
"a wonderfully fulfilling life"
Give a brief personal example. State what happened, how the flattery was used, how you responded (refused, questioned, or accepted), and what you learned (be cautious, verify intentions, trust actions over words). Keep it 2–3 sentences for class sharing.
Sample response: Yes, I have experienced being trapped by flattery. Once, a classmate praised my homework extensively and said it was the best in the class, then asked if I would lend them my answers so they could understand the topic better. At first, I felt pleased by the compliment, but I soon realized that the sudden praise was likely insincere and was being used as a tool to manipulate me into doing something I was uncomfortable with. I politely refused and explained that I could not help them cheat, but I offered to study with them instead so they could learn the material themselves. Later, I reflected on the experience and realized that the praise had been strategically timed and excessive, which should have been a warning sign. This incident taught me to be more cautious about sudden flattery and to question the motives behind excessive compliments. I learned to distinguish between genuine appreciation and manipulative praise, and to trust my instincts when something feels insincere or designed to pressure me into unwanted actions.
Create a short, positive resolution: either the fly escapes by cleverness or help arrives (wind, bird, insect friend), and the spider learns a lesson. Keep the ending simple, moral, and optimistic so it fits as a 'happy ending' for the poem.
Sample happy ending: Just as the spider prepared to feast on the trapped fly, a strong gust of wind suddenly shook the web violently. The fly, remembering a timely warning from a friendly bee she had met earlier, quickly feigned death by going completely still and limp. The spider, confused and disappointed by what appeared to be a lifeless prey, relaxed his guard and moved away to repair the damaged web. Seizing this moment of opportunity, the clever fly used a loose thread to swing down and escape from the web. She flew swiftly out of the parlour and back into the open air, finally reaching safety. The spider, realizing that his victim had escaped and that his trickery had failed, felt a deep sense of shame and regret for his cruel and deceitful ways. He vowed never again to use flattery and false kindness to trap and harm innocent creatures. The fly, now wiser and more cautious, flew home safely and shared her harrowing experience with other insects, warning them to be skeptical of sweet words and to trust their instincts about danger. The moral of this happy ending reinforces that goodness and caution can triumph over cunning and deceit, and that those who prey on others through manipulation may eventually face the consequences of their actions.