Night-Butterflies and Day -Moths. 1 8 3 



association with rust being in the poet's mind) are 

 11 moths." 



But their treatment of these insects illustrates another 

 large poetical obliquity. Because men and women who are 

 gaily dressed are often frivolous and vain, it is assumed that 

 gaiety of attire in the animal world leads to the same moral 

 weakness. 



As, for instance, among birds the goldfinch, among beasts 

 the panther, among flowers the tulip, are reproached for 

 being "gaudy," " gay," and " painted," and, therefore, " vain " 

 and " fickle," so it is with the Butterfly. The poets concede 

 its beauty, but, with that unfortunate tendency of their's to 

 translate all animal life into human phrases, go on to assume 

 that because it is fair to look upon therefore it is conceited, 

 light in affection, heartless, proud. 



" Conscious of beauty they speed from flower to flower, 

 Flaunting in the aspect of the day 

 Their robes of spangled tissue." 



Clare, a sympathetic poet, is one of the few who really gives 

 them the advantage of a doubt. 



" For amid the sunny hour, 

 When I've found thee on a flower 

 (Searching with minutest gleg) 

 Oft I've seen thy little leg 

 Soft as glass o'er velvet glides 

 Smoothen down thy silken sides ; 

 Then thy wings would ope and shut, 

 Then thou seemingly wouldst strut ; 

 Was it nature, was it pride? 

 Let the learned world decide." 



It follows, then, naturally enough from the poet's moral, 

 that "so gay a popelet" should be a fop, "light-fluttering." 

 a "beau," and "dandy." But how ugly such metaphors 

 are ! This, for instance 



