Believe it or not, the termite has actually had poems written for it. Poetry can be written about any subject as any good writer knows. But when you think about writing poems for a termite, that just seems a little too strange even for the most seasoned writer. In reality, there are some termite poems that exist. Most are humorous and well share just a few weve found.
Famed humorist Ogden Nash is well known for his hilarious short poetry and sharp witticisms on human life. While he hasnt written many poems to the termite, he did write one that has been studied by students in many grades and evaluated for its social relevance as well as humorous quality. His poem The Termite is as follows:
Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today.
This is considered one of the great poems of its time and for it to be about a termite makes it humorous in and of itself. It is a simple four line poem that rhymes yet says a lot about the way a termite works. The poem brings a sense of humor to the actual destruction that a termite can wreak on a home.
Mr. Nash has been known to write poems about obscure subjects which is why it really is no surprise to fans of his that he would write The Termite. He has a unique way of looking at a seemingly mundane topic and putting a spin on it so that it becomes interesting.
When you dissect The Termite, you will realize that this is one of Mr. Nashs most prolific poems simply because it is simple, funny, and so, so true. He is telling us that a termite found a piece of wood and thought it looked like a good piece of food. Of course, termites eat wood so when they chew through it, the wood becomes unstable and then poor Cousin May fell through the floor because that doggone termite decided to have dinner!
Of all poems written in the world over the years, there are precious few that have been written about the common termite. But Ogden Nash decided that there needed to be at least one. So, as this writer imagines, he sat down at his desk with a small notepad and jotted down 26 little words and made one of his poems about a little termite one of the most studied ones around. Bravo, Mr. Nash, bravo!