Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Mosquito" by John Updike transforms a mundane encounter with a mosquito into a richly metaphorical exploration of predation, vulnerability, and the interplay between hunter and prey. The poem is set in a dark bedroom, a space that should offer rest and sanctuary but instead becomes the arena for a small-scale battle of survival. Updike’s choice of language elevates the mosquito from a simple pest to a character in a dramatic narrative, highlighting themes of life, death, and the instinctual drives shared by all living creatures.

The poem opens by describing the mosquito’s presence through the "fine wire of his whine," an auditory intrusion that marks the creature’s arrival in the "ominous bedroom dark." This introduction sets a tense, foreboding atmosphere, emphasizing the mosquito’s disturbance to the peace of the room. The phrase "a traitor to his camouflage" further personifies the mosquito, attributing to it a tactical error in revealing its location through sound, described vividly as "a thirsty blue streak distinct as a spark."

Updike portrays himself as "a fragrant lake of blood," an image that magnifies the human body into a vast landscape from the mosquito’s perspective. This metaphor not only amplifies the physical disparity between the man and the mosquito but also casts the human as an unwitting participant in a life-or-death struggle. Despite his larger size, the speaker is initially passive, "unconscious of my size" and by extension, his power in this interaction, which underscores a kind of existential ignorance or innocence.

As the mosquito approaches, likened to an anchor descending on "his thread of song," the tone shifts. The intimate act of feeding—where the mosquito’s "nose sank thankfully in"—is abruptly interrupted by the speaker’s reaction. The slap is portrayed with the paradoxical attributes of "cunning and strong," mirroring the language used to describe the mosquito, thus blurring the lines between the aggressor and the victim. This mirroring suggests a shared primal instinct between the two.

The dramatic climax comes as the speaker describes himself in terms reminiscent of a giant from literature, "a cunning, strong Gargantua." Here, the mosquito, "lulled by my blood, relaxed, half-sated, stuck," becomes most vulnerable, engrossed in the act of feeding. The use of "Gargantua" elevates the act of swatting the mosquito to an epic scale, contrasting dramatically with the actual triviality of the action.

The final stanza wraps the encounter with a mix of triumph and reflection. The mosquito is reduced to "a fleck of fluff upon the sheet," its death noted without ceremony. Yet, the mention of "the small welt of remorse" hints at a complex, almost guilt-ridden response to the killing. The final line, "side by side we, murderer and murdered, sleep," beautifully captures the intimacy and inevitability of death, even in such a trivial context. It suggests a shared fate and a commonality in existence—both the human and the mosquito are bound by the same cycle of life and death, albeit on vastly different scales.

In "The Mosquito," Updike uses a simple, everyday experience to delve into profound themes of existence, power, and the ethical nuances of life-taking, however insignificant it might seem. The poem invites readers to reflect on the nature of interaction within the ecosystem and the often overlooked significance of the smallest creatures.

POEM TEXT: https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1960-06-11/flipbook/032/

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