On page 241 Focus on Poetry Animals Dinner Together: sitting by the barbecue waiting for sausages and hot dogs blue-gray smoke the same color of the sky I see a tiny spider walking down the sky with tiny six footed steps down down in a perfectly straight line all the way down to the floor then back up the same line rising from one cloud up to another, a silver speck glistening at its mouth, climbing the invisible ladder. The question is what is all about?
I think the narrator sees a speck of ash in the smoke from the barbecue and imagines it to be a tiny spider. The bit of ash from the fire looks like it could be a spider walking among the clouds, in the sky.
Do remember, too, that we don't have the same book you do, so the page number, etc., mean nothing to us tutors.
And Houghton Mifflin is not the author. It's the company that published your textbook.
Based on the given passage from page 241, it is a poem about observing a tiny spider walking down from the sky in a straight line, all the way to the floor and then climbing back up the same line. The poem also mentions the spider having a silver speck at its mouth and describes it as climbing an invisible ladder.
The meaning or "what it's all about" is open to interpretation and can vary for different readers. This particular poem seems to be a reflection on the simplicity and wonder of nature. The poet brings attention to the spider's actions, seemingly mundane and ordinary, but also emphasizes the beauty and intricacy in its movements. The reference to the spider climbing an invisible ladder could be symbolic, suggesting the spider's resilience and determination.
To fully understand the intention or deeper meaning behind a poem like this, it's important to analyze the figurative language, imagery, and themes within the poem. Paying attention to the poet's choice of words, descriptions, and patterns can provide further insight into the poem's meaning.