A human being in his life is bound to many people, relations and societal cultures. All these things bound them from gaining the true essence of a person's life which can only be earned when a person feels attached to the real nature. Later or sooner we will be a part of that great nature again.
A child possesses all the golden emotions deep within his heart but as he grows older and becomes a mature man,he starts forgetting relationships, emotions and his love is left only for materialistic pleasures.The innocence and the qualities of childhood are lost somewhere in the fog of selfishness.
This poem portrays the life of a man which he starts enthusiastically but when reaches to its mid, he becomes blind with the desires and lust and forgets the reason he was born for. In his old age when he is overlooked by everyone he realizes that he has gained nothing but complete solitude.
The poem consists of literal meaning accompanied by a symbolic meaning.The literal meaning shows that a caterpillar which is sitting on a soft and completely healthy green leaf slowly ingests it.The symbolic meaning focuses upon the evil and pessimism that slowly gulps a human leaving him worthless.