A Noiseless Patient Spider

Question 1

Summary.

Answer 1

• The** speaker’s observations of a silent spider** which investigates its vast environment by sending out thread after thread.
• The poem addresses the speaker’s soul, which likewise stands isolated & detached in a solitary place.
• Describes the soul that is continually considering, exploring & seeking connections.

Question 2

Themes.

Answer 2

• Isolation & Connection
• Creation (in the spider making its web)
• Nature

Question 3

Significance of “A noiseless patient spider”.

Answer 3

• an extended metaphor for the speaker’s soul, which is isolated & working to find a sense of connection

Question 4

Significance of the verbs in “Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing”

Answer 4

• The spiritual work of the speaker reflects the work of the spider
• The soul, like the spider, must actively seek the connections it desires, & can do so by sending forth parts of itself.
• The verbs are unified by their gerund form, all implying a form of exploration. The clause at the end (“seeking the spheres to connect them”) brings the 3 preceding verbs together into their singular purpose: seeking connection.

Question 5

Significance of the “gossamer threads”

Answer 5

• Refers to the person’s personal writing, artwork or creative endeavour that might reflect who they are OR connections formed
• Once a connection is formed, it becomes a sort of “anchor” - offering the speaker stability & comfort

Question 6

The adjective “patient”

Answer 6

• personifies the spider, giving it a sense of dignity & consciousness

Question 7

“I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated, // Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,”

Answer 7

• anaphoric repetition
• gives the poem an energy of repeated outward momentum that predicts the outward-reaching action of the spider

Question 8

What technique is seen in “filament, filament, filament”?

Answer 8

• epizeuxis & dactyls (stressed-unstressed-unstressed)
• describes the spider’s ceaseless energy & dedication to building its web
• which reflects the activity of seeking connections with others being a constant, unceasing activity

Question 9

What technique is seen in “And you O my soul”?

Answer 9

• apostrophe & assonance
• The word “And” implicitly connects the second stanza to the first.
• The apostrophe addresses the soul as though it were an independent being outside the self, with its own agency, will & physical presence.

Question 10

What technique is seen in “Surrounded, detached,”?

Answer 10

• juxtaposition - the two words contradict each other
• “Surrounded” suggests that the soul could be surrounded by things or other spirits
• “detached” suggests that the soul is separate & unconnected from its surroundings
• The overall implication is that the soul could be connected to others but it not at this instant.

Question 11

Significance of the “spheres”.

Answer 11

• The “spheres” suggest various realms or dimensions, perhaps representing different aspects of life, relationships or individuals.
• The seeking of spheres implies a complex search for connection, that humans are not satisfied with mere surface-level interactions but are actively exploring deeper, more meaningful connections.