Monarch Butterfly Poem
Monarch Caterpillar Munching Away
An Explanation of the Poem
This poem celebrates the life of the Monarch butterfly from egg to adult insect. It is based on the English haiku style of 3 lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. However, these haikus are not meant to stand alone but rather to be part of the whole, showing how the cycle of the Monarch’s life goes.
Now there are many ways of writing poetry, all with official sounding names: odes, limericks, haikus (personal favorite style), quatrains and many more. I just write the poetry as it comes into my head and let other folks classify it. In this case, and since I like writing in the 5-7-5 syllable style of haiku, I wrote the poem using haikus but set them up so that they flow into each other.
Is there a specific name for this kind of flowing haiku poetry? I don't know but if you do you are more than welcome to tell me about it in the comments.
Enjoy this short poem on the Monarch butterfly and I hope you see one flying in your neighborhood.
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Monarch Butterfly
Monarch female lays
Micro eggs on milkweed leaves
Flutters off, lays more
Tiny egg hatches
Small worm munches the shell
Eats the leaf of birth
Longer and stronger
Poison gain from milkweed sap
Show colors brightly
Continue to grow
Eat the leaf and drink the sap
Metamorphous calls
Hang from branch or stem
Sticky silk holds chrysalis
Change body inside
Crack the shell again
Emerge transformed monarch worm
Butterfly flies free
Monarch Butterfly Feasts
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Monarch Butterflies Fly Free
Those of us in the USA who have been lucky enough to witness the flight of the Monarch hold this butterfly in awe. Yet its beginnings are humble. It starts as a tiny spec of an egg laid by the female Monarch. She can lay hundreds of eggs over her lifetime. She flutters to various milkweed plants laying an egg or two here and another there. Then flies off to find another batch of milkweed plants both to dine on (they suck nectar from the milkweed flowers) and to provide a home for the future generation.
There appear to be 3 to 4 generations of the Monarch butterfly depending on weather conditions and available food source (that would be some type of milkweed plant). The first generations after the Monarch returns from their winter retreat in Mexico (almost all Monarch butterflies seem to end up in Mexico or California (which at one time was northern Mexico before there was a USA or a Mexico, live only for a few weeks. Only the last generation, just before winter arrives, makes the trip to the West. These live quite a long time for a butterfly, up to eight months.
The caterpillars grow and grow until they reach the right size (2 to 3 inches long and rather chubby) then find a place to hang themselves and form into a chrysalis. Inside this chrysalis their bodies transform until, a week or two later, they break it open and emerge as adult Monarch butterflies. Once their wings unfold and dry up, it’s up and away to fly free in the winds, just like in the Monarch butterfly poem .
The Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Article
- Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar on Yellow Milkweed
Learn about the monarch caterpillar. Photos of caterpillar on milkweed. Video shows process from egg to chrysalis.
© 2012 Angelo52
What did you Think? Write it Here.
The butterfly has such beautiful colors and you have a well thought of poem explaining the cycle.
I love how the haikus show the cycle of the monarch butterfly. So cool! I love butterflies. Your beautiful hub does them justice. I enjoyed the background info, too! Many votes!
The monarch's story is poetry, isn't it? Nice haiku work! I did not know that monarchs could lay so many eggs. Thanks for an informative post.
You know this is masterful. 6 stand alone haiku join to make one poem! congratulations.
Very nice synopsis of the life of the monarch.
Your poem will be my after life, for I would to come back as a butterfly and flutter from plant and another plant.
Voted up and beautiful, Joyce.
A fine addition to your article and poetry collection.
I am a butterfly lover. They make me smile, just like your article and beautiful poem.
A butterfly is a great symbol of metamorphosis. Beautiful poem.
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