The Melody of the Spider
The Melody of the Spider
Webs, both diminutive and expansive, embody simplicity,
Transparent as a clear summer sky, quaint as
A piece of delicate butter-muslin from a young girl’s wardrobe, or
A simple cotton handkerchief.
As inadequate hunters, we delight in capturing the light
As it descends through the atmosphere, precious as
Something yet to emerge, a nimble speck
That we continue to chase.
She is our Spider, our progenitor, the universal mother
Of us all, the mother of both wisdom and naivety
In women. Starting from humble beginnings,
She diligently toils through us.
No force can sever the lifeline
That draws us towards her, her belly rich with thread
That extends endlessly, her silky
Pod marking our origin.
She exists in solitude, beyond the tattered spherical web of
The world. She is interlaced with the fabric
Of her own visions, her cloak
Of motherhood.
She is solitary yet cherished among others, as
No one else could be in her obscurity.
With one foot on the mountain and one on the web,
This is her path, as she proclaims.
The tale of the weaving match between the goddess Minerva (Pallas Athene) and the modestly born Arachne is recounted by Ovid in Metamorphoses. The goddess, angered by Arachne’s lack of gratitude for her skill and appalled by the depictions of divine misbehavior in her splendid tapestry, tears Arachne’s work apart and strikes her with her shuttle. In despair, Arachne hangs herself. Minerva saves her but transforms her as a punishment: “Her body shrunk; her slender fingers adhered to her sides as legs, her belly now the largest part of her, from which she still spins thread, and as a spider, weaves her ancient web.”
In this week’s poem, from Gillian Allnutt’s latest anthology “Lode,” Arachne is reimagined as Arachnid, a deified spider-mother and tribal leader. The poem, serving as an anthem at Arachnid’s yearly celebration, expresses the tribe’s appreciation for her and their existence through her, as noted by Allnutt. In Ovid’s version, Arachne was dismissive and disrespectful towards the elderly when Minerva approached her disguised as an old woman. Allnutt not only transforms Arachne but also empowers the poem’s speaker, a senior tribe member, celebrating Arachnid’s influence and affirming her own stature.
Allnutt, who identifies as a cultural Christian rather than a religious poet, weaves elements of Christian theology into her feminist and matriarchal narrative. Arachne’s transformation signifies humility, captured in the quaintly domestic opening stanza: “Webs are small and spacious as simplicity / See-through as a summer’s day, old-fashioned as / A slip of butter-muslin, girlhood’s own.” Originally defiant in her brilliance, Arachne/Arachnid is rejuvenated by her diminutive spider form, reconnecting her with her true creative powers.
Imperfection is acknowledged. Spiders, described as “poor predators,” are fascinated by capturing light rather than prey—akin to artists or writers who view their subjects not as sustenance but as ephemeral beauty. The creatures they ensnare are not just meals but catalysts for their artistic creation, marvels to be added: “What is not yet born, an acrobatic dot / And carry one.”
Arachnid is perpetually reborn, always a mother. The poem’s structure, with a breathless break between the second and third stanzas, reveals an excited discovery: “It’s // Our Arachnid.” Certain lines in the third stanza mimic the cadence of the prayer “Hail, Mary,” but Allnutt’s deity is delightfully grounded. She is not a “Mother of God” but an “ancestor, mother of all / Of us,” and also a mother of both understanding and simplicity among women.
The term “gorm” might be an old northern dialect meaning “understanding,” a deep, intuitive type that resonates through the poem. Its counterpart, “gormlessness,” represents a less favorable aspect of simplicity, reflecting the poem’s rejection of mindless adulation—the kind Minerva expected from Arachne. The offspring of the spider-goddess, although flawed, are still descendants of a divine mother, bound to the “worn orb web” of the earth yet “woven into the fabric / Of her own imagination, her cloak / Of motherhood.”
Allnutt enriches her language with clever twists and antiquated terms: “silken,” “cloak,” “outwith,” “fabric.” Her alliterative style forms a mnemonic web, reminding us that the tribal song thrives through its spoken tradition. Subtle hints of rhyme often appear. The small, versatile word “as” recurs in the first, second, and last stanzas, indicating resemblance, continuity, and movement—the thread that is “extended yet ceaseless.”
In the final stanza, a complex synthesis emerges. The spider-goddess is “alone and [she is] loved among, as / No one else in all her anonymity.” Being simultaneously “among” others and “anonymous”—yet unique—is a distinctive homage in the phrase, “One foot on the mountain, one foot on the web’s / Her way.” This references Lilian Mohin’s 1979 anthology of British feminist poetry, “One Foot on the Mountain.” A poetry collection serves as a fitting metaphor for both collectivism and individualism. This particular anthology significantly nurtured the art and politics of its female contributors.
Lilian Mohin is commemorated here by Cherry Potts, who later established the Arachne Press. By honoring these poetic Mothers and their contributions, “The Melody of the Spider” portrays an ecosystem influenced by maternal attentiveness, where both weaving and mountaineering embody “her way,” and its broad, ecofeminist perspective is enriched by celebrating real-life poetic matriarchs.
“The Melody of the Spider” was composed for the Hardwick Park Festival of Minerva.
Similar Posts:
- Discover the Magic of Welsh Rivers: Publisher Behind Bilingual Poetry Success Explores New Themes
- Poem of the Week: Discover “Leaves” by Frederic Manning – A Timeless Masterpiece!
- Heartwarming Fusion: ‘In the Nguyen Kitchen’ Blends Vietnamese-French Flavors in a Musical!
- Rebecca Clarke Triumphs at Wigmore Hall: A Pioneering Female Composer’s Resonant Evening
- Slash Your Halloween Costs: DIY Costumes and Affordable Treats Unveiled!
Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
