Parker/Poetry

I'm using lines and phrases from spider-themed poems and songs as part of the titles of my logs. I'll be including the poems and song lyrics here for those who may be interested.

My primary sources are these two sites:

• Spider Poems at DiscoverPoetry.com
• Search results for 'Spider' at Lyrics.com (does not like AddBlocker)

The actual quotes will be in italics.

Poems

A Cobweb Made to Order

by Aunt Effie

I.

A hungry Spider made a web    Of thread so very fine, Your tiny fingers scarce could feel    The little slender line.        Round-about, and round-about,            And round-about it spun,        Straight across and back again,            Until the web was done.

II.

Oh, what a pretty shining web    It was, when it was done! The little flies all came to see    It hanging in the sun.        Round-about, and round-about,            And round-about they danced,        Across the web and back again            They darted and they glanced.

III.

The hungry Spider sat and watched    The happy little flies;        It saw all round about its head,    It had so many eyes.        Round-about, and round-about,            And round-about they go,        Across the web and back again,            Now high—now low.

IV.

"I am hungry, very hungry,"    Said the Spider to a fly. "If you were caught within the web,    You very soon should die."        But round-about, and round-about,            And round-about, once more,        Across the web and back again            They flitted as before.

V.

For all the flies were much too wise    To venture near the Spider; They flapped their little wings and flew    In circles rather wider.        Round-about, and round-about,            And round about went they,        Across the web and back again,            And then they flew away.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

by Anonymous

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun,
and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

A Noiseless Patient Spider

by Walt Whitman

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

Pretty is That Pretty Does

by Alice Cary

The spider wears a plain brown dress,
   And she is a steady spinner;
To see her, quiet as a mouse,
Going about her silver house,
You would never, never, never guess
   The way she gets her dinner.

She looks as if no thought of ill
   In all her life had stirred her;
But while she moves with careful tread, And
while she spins her silken thread,
She is planning, planning, planning still
   The way to do some murder.

My child, who reads this simple lay,
   With eyes down-dropt and tender, Remember
the old proverb says
That pretty is which pretty does,
And that worth does not go nor stay
   For poverty nor splendor.

'Tis not the house, and not the dress,
   That makes the saint or sinner.
To see the spider sit and spin,
Shut with her walls of silver in,
You would never, never, never guess
   The way she gets her dinner.

The Spider and the Fly

by Mary Howitt

"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show when you are there."
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain;
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around, the sheets are fine and thin;
And if you like to rest a while, I'll snugly tuck you in!"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"

Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, "Dear friend, what can I do
To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you?
I have, within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome—will you please to take a slice?"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

"Sweet creature," said the Spider, "you're witty and you're wise;
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlor shelf;
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself."
"I thank you, gentle sir," she said, "for what you're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day."

The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon be back again;
So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,—
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple, there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead."

Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by:
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,—
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue;
Thinking only of her crested head—poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den
Within his little parlor—but she ne'er came out again!

And now, dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly, flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed;
Unto an evil counsellor close heart, and ear, and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale of the Spider and the Fly.

A Spider's Web

by Jonathan Platt

Silk-thin silver strings woven cleverly into a lair,
An intricate entwining of divinest thread...
Like strands of magic worked upon the air,
The spider spins his enchanted web -
His home so eerily, spiraling spreads.

His gossamer so rigid, yet lighter than mist,
And like an eight-legged sorcerer - a wizard blest,
His lace, like a spell, he conjures and knits;
I witnessed such wild ingenuity wrought and finessed,
Watching the spider weave a dream from his web.

Songs

Bloody Spider's Breath]

by Strawberry Fields

The full lyrics can be seen here but the site prevents copy/paste. Follow this link for the YouTube video.

"The bloody spider"

"Won't you come see me, you know"

I Am the Spider/Epilogue

by Alice Cooper

Follow this link for the YouTube video.

I'm your lover, I'm your brother
I'm your killer, I'm your friend
I'm your teacher, I'm your preacher
I'm the reaper in the end

I'm your healer, I'm your dealer
I'm your angel, let's pretend
I'm your jailer, I'm your failure
I'm the reaper in the end

Along came a Spider
Crept up beside her
Spun his web deep inside her
My darkness will guide her

I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider

You're my sinner, You're my dinner
My little puppet, let's pretend
You're the cure to my affliction
My addiction to the end

Along came a Spider
Crept up beside her
Spun his web deep inside her
My darkness will guide her

I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider

I was born to this
Not something to strive for
Not something to even admire, unless it was

It's done with the greatest of taste
Conviction and expertise
I am the spider

Along came a Spider
Crept up beside her
Spun his web deep inside her
My darkness will guide her

I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider
I am the spider

Epilogue:
Spider:
"Well, they found my diary today. They were appropriately appalled at the discovery of the eight victims. They're now putting it all together. Women wrapped in silk with one leg missing. Eight legs, one body, silk, Spider, brilliant!"

"We've been in this cell for 28 years, Steven
We couldn't have done all those horrible things
Yes, I know
I know what you always say
You trap, you kill, you eat
That's what a good spider does
You trap, you kill, you eat
You trap, you kill, you eat."

Spider

by Oingo Boingo (Danny Elfman's band from the 80s!)

Follow this link for the YouTube video.

Spider crawling, on the wall
I see him and he, sees it all...
And he sees it all

I fell down in that lazy place
Where the English language can't - penetrate and I
Saw your mouth moving - just forget it and lie here with me
Maybe we should just, climb under the sheets
Where the words they don't get in the way

We were wondering, if you recall
Is this the end of it - end of everything
We were wondering, wonder

Spider crawling - in my left ear
Has a message I - want you to hear
Hope you're happy - found what you're looking for
Do you miss me, miss me at all?

Spider tells me, saw you yesterday
With somebody new - what can I say?
What can I...

Spider crawling, I crawl with him -
We go everywhere, we see everything
We are falling, we are falling, falling to nowhere
Hope you're happy - found what you're looking for
Do you miss me, miss me at all?
Spider crawling, spider crawling, spider crawling...

The Spider Song

by Townes Van Zandt

Follow this link for the YouTube video.

There is a spider in my dreams
Long and silent is his name
Cold as lightning is his smile
Final is his sting

His curse is deep as seven skies
Boys, I wouldn't tell you lies
The legends say he never sleeps
And he's never hungry long

He's got us, boys, I believe it's true
But I'm fighting till he lays me down
Run his foul black body through
Cleave him all asunder

Now think of your women, won't you boys
Think of your mother growing old
Think about your darling son
Spittin' the spider's eye

Up it is against him ride
We'll not take him by surprise
Give a scream down in your dreams
Let him know we're comin'

There is a spider in my dreams
Long and silent is his name
Cold as lightning is his smile
Final is his sting

Spiders

by Slipknot

Follow this link for the YouTube video.

Well you can go it alone
Or keep it in between
The pages of the books you burn
So no one gets to read
The fingers pull your stitches tight
But knowing someone's secret is not enough
Everyone's a little bit a lot of the time

The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?
The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?

When now is not the time
Tomorrow disagrees
But your real world isn't ready to face
The face behind the real me
Time to think it over
I'm over trying to overthink
I've had enough, huh
Everybody's limited to what's on their mind

The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?
The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?

(Spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders)
(Spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders)

Make yourself a martyr's pet
And watch them all escape (spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders)
Make yourself at home instead (spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders)
You'll lose your toxic waste (spiders, spiders, spiders, spiders)

Go it alone
Suffer for your feelings, I'm not enough (no, no, no)
But everyone's a little bitter all of the time

The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?
The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?

The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?
The spiders come in side by side
Two by two and night by night
Who is food and who is thrown away?

---