Introduction: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
“Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton first appeared in 1827 in his collection Poems. The poem narrates the legendary tale of Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king, who, after suffering repeated defeats against the English, finds inspiration in a spider’s persistent attempts to spin its web. The main ideas revolve around perseverance, resilience, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. The poem depicts Bruce, weary and defeated, observing a spider fail six times to cast its thread across a beam, yet succeed on its seventh attempt. This small act of tenacity inspires Bruce to persevere in his fight for Scotland’s freedom, symbolizing the broader human struggle to overcome obstacles through persistent effort. The poem’s popularity stems from its universal message, encapsulated in the lines, “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” which resonate with readers facing personal or collective challenges. Its simple yet vivid imagery, combined with the historical and moral appeal of Bruce’s story, has made it a timeless piece, often used to teach the value of persistence.
Text: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
FOR Scotland’s and for freedom’s right
The Bruce his part had played,
In five successive fields of fight
Been conqured and dismayed;
Once more against the English host
His band he led, and once more lost
The meed for which he fought;
And now from battle, faint and worn,
The homeless fugitive forlorn
A hut’s lone shelter sought.
And cheerless was that resting-place
For him who claimed a throne:
His canopy devoid of grace,
The rude, rough beams alone;
The heather couch his only bed, —
Yet well I ween had slumber fled
From couch of eider-down!
Through darksome night till dawn of day,
Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay
Of Scotland and her crown.
The sun rose brightly, and its gleam
Fell on that hapless bed,
And tinged with light each shapeless beam
Which roofed the lowly shed;
When, looking up with wistful eye,
The Bruce beheld a spider try
His filmy thread to fling
From beam to beam of that rude cot;
And well the insect’s toilsome lot
Taught Scotland’s future king.
Six times his gossamery thread
The wary spider threw;
In vain the filmy line was sped,
For powerless or untrue
Each aim appeared, and back recoiled
The patient insect, six times foiled,
And yet unconquered still;
And soon the Bruce, with eager eye,
Saw him prepare once more to try
His courage, strength, and skill.
One effort more, his seventh and last!
The hero hailed the sign!
And on the wished-for beam hung fast
That slender, silken line;
Slight as it was, his spirit caught
The more than omen, for his thought
The lesson well could trace,
Which even “he who runs may read,”
That Perseverance gains its meed,
And Patience wins the race.
Annotations: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
| Line | Annotation | Literary Device |
| FOR Scotland’s and for freedom’s right | Emphasizes Bruce’s cause, fighting for Scotland’s independence and liberty. | Alliteration |
| The Bruce his part had played, | Refers to Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king, and his role in battles. | Metonymy |
| In five successive fields of fight | Indicates five consecutive battles, highlighting repeated efforts. | Alliteration |
| Been conqured and dismayed; | Describes Bruce’s defeats and emotional despair. | Parallelism |
| Once more against the English host | Shows Bruce’s persistence despite prior losses. | Imagery |
| His band he led, and once more lost | Highlights leadership and another defeat. | Parallelism |
| The meed for which he fought; | “Meed” means reward, referring to victory or freedom. | Archaic Diction |
| And now from battle, faint and worn, | Depicts Bruce’s physical and emotional exhaustion. | Imagery |
| The homeless fugitive forlorn | Portrays Bruce as a lonely, defeated exile. | Alliteration |
| A hut’s lone shelter sought. | Describes the humble, isolated refuge Bruce finds. | Imagery |
| And cheerless was that resting-place | Emphasizes the bleakness of Bruce’s temporary shelter. | Imagery |
| For him who claimed a throne: | Contrasts Bruce’s royal aspirations with his current state. | Irony |
| His canopy devoid of grace, | The “canopy” is the crude roof, lacking regal splendor. | Metaphor |
| The rude, rough beams alone; | Describes the simplicity and harshness of the hut. | Alliteration |
| The heather couch his only bed, — | Heather as bedding underscores the primitive conditions. | Imagery |
| Yet well I ween had slumber fled | “I ween” means I believe; sleep eludes him despite exhaustion. | Archaic Diction |
| From couch of eider-down! | Eider-down (soft feathers) contrasts with his rough bed. | Irony |
| Through darksome night till dawn of day, | Describes a long, sleepless night of worry. | Imagery |
| Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay | Shows Bruce’s preoccupation with Scotland’s fate. | Imagery |
| Of Scotland and her crown. | Refers to Bruce’s ambition to secure the throne. | Symbolism |
| The sun rose brightly, and its gleam | Introduces hope with the rising sun. | Imagery |
| Fell on that hapless bed, | Light falls on Bruce’s miserable situation. | Imagery |
| And tinged with light each shapeless beam | Sunlight softens the harshness of the hut’s beams. | Imagery |
| Which roofed the lowly shed; | Reinforces the humility of Bruce’s shelter. | Imagery |
| When, looking up with wistful eye, | Bruce’s longing gaze sets up the spider’s lesson. | Imagery |
| The Bruce beheld a spider try | Introduces the spider as a symbol of persistence. | Symbolism |
| His filmy thread to fling | Describes the spider’s delicate web-spinning effort. | Imagery |
| From beam to beam of that rude cot; | Details the spider’s attempt in the simple hut. | Imagery |
| And well the insect’s toilsome lot | Connects the spider’s struggle to Bruce’s plight. | Metaphor |
| Taught Scotland’s future king. | Foreshadows Bruce’s lesson and future success. | Foreshadowing |
| Six times his gossamery thread | “Gossamery” emphasizes the fragile, delicate web. | Imagery |
| The wary spider threw; | Highlights the spider’s careful persistence. | Imagery |
| In vain the filmy line was sped, | The web fails to connect, emphasizing struggle. | Imagery |
| For powerless or untrue | Suggests the web’s fragility or inaccurate aim. | Personification |
| Each aim appeared, and back recoiled | Describes the web’s failure and the spider’s retreat. | Imagery |
| The patient insect, six times foiled, | Emphasizes the spider’s resilience despite failures. | Personification |
| And yet unconquered still; | Highlights the spider’s undaunted spirit. | Personification |
| And soon the Bruce, with eager eye, | Shows Bruce’s growing interest in the spider’s efforts. | Imagery |
| Saw him prepare once more to try | The spider’s persistence inspires Bruce. | Foreshadowing |
| His courage, strength, and skill. | Attributes human qualities to the spider’s actions. | Personification |
| One effort more, his seventh and last! | Builds suspense for the spider’s final attempt. | Foreshadowing |
| The hero hailed the sign! | Bruce sees the spider’s success as an omen. | Symbolism |
| And on the wished-for beam hung fast | The web finally succeeds, symbolizing hope. | Imagery |
| That slender, silken line; | Emphasizes the delicate yet successful web. | Imagery |
| Slight as it was, his spirit caught | The small act inspires Bruce profoundly. | Symbolism |
| The more than omen, for his thought | The spider’s success is a meaningful sign. | Symbolism |
| The lesson well could trace, | Bruce internalizes the lesson of perseverance. | Metaphor |
| Which even “he who runs may read,” | A biblical allusion meaning the lesson is clear. | Allusion |
| That Perseverance gains its meed, | “Meed” is reward; persistence leads to success. | Archaic Diction |
| And Patience wins the race. | Summarizes the poem’s moral of steadfast effort. | Metaphor |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
| Literary/Poetic Device | Example from Poem | Explanation |
| Alliteration 🌟 | “Scotland’s and for freedom’s right” | Repetition of the “f” sound emphasizes the cause of Scotland’s fight for liberty, creating a rhythmic effect. |
| Allusion 📜 | “Which even ‘he who runs may read'” | References a biblical phrase (Habakkuk 2:2), implying the lesson of perseverance is universally clear. |
| Anaphora 🔁 | “And now from battle… / And cheerless was…” | Repetition of “And” at the start of lines builds a sense of continuity and despair in Bruce’s plight. |
| Archaic Diction 🏰 | “The meed for which he fought” | Use of “meed” (reward) reflects older English, adding a historical tone to match the medieval setting. |
| Assonance 🎵 | “Faint and worn” | Repetition of the “a” vowel sound enhances the description of Bruce’s exhaustion, creating a somber tone. |
| Caesura ⏸️ | “The heather couch his only bed, —” | The dash creates a pause, emphasizing the stark contrast between Bruce’s royal aspirations and his current state. |
| Consonance 🔊 | “Rude, rough beams” | Repetition of the “r” sound underscores the harshness of the hut’s structure, reinforcing its bleakness. |
| Contrast ⚖️ | “For him who claimed a throne: / His canopy devoid of grace” | Juxtaposes Bruce’s royal claim with the crude shelter, highlighting his fall from grandeur. |
| Enjambment ➡️ | “The Bruce beheld a spider try / His filmy thread to fling” | The thought flows across lines without punctuation, mirroring the spider’s continuous effort. |
| Foreshadowing 🔮 | “Taught Scotland’s future king” | Hints at Bruce’s eventual success, inspired by the spider’s persistence. |
| Hyperbole 🌋 | “Yet well I ween had slumber fled / From couch of eider-down!” | Exaggerates Bruce’s inability to sleep, even on a luxurious bed, to emphasize his distress. |
| Imagery 🖼️ | “The sun rose brightly, and its gleam / Fell on that hapless bed” | Vividly describes sunlight illuminating the hut, creating a hopeful shift in tone. |
| Irony 😏 | “For him who claimed a throne: / The rude, rough beams alone” | The irony lies in a king’s claim to a throne contrasted with his primitive shelter. |
| Metaphor 🕸️ | “And well the insect’s toilsome lot / Taught Scotland’s future king” | Compares the spider’s struggle to Bruce’s, teaching him resilience without using “like” or “as.” |
| Metonymy 👑 | “Of Scotland and her crown” | “Crown” represents the monarchy and Bruce’s royal ambition, substituting for the broader concept. |
| Parallelism ≡ | “Been conqured and dismayed; / Once more against the English host” | Similar sentence structures emphasize repeated defeats and persistence. |
| Personification 🤗 | “The patient insect, six times foiled” | Attributes human patience to the spider, highlighting its resilience. |
| Repetition 🔄 | “Once more against… / And once more lost” | Repeats “once more” to stress Bruce’s persistent but unsuccessful efforts. |
| Symbolism 🌍 | “That slender, silken line” | The spider’s web symbolizes perseverance and the fragile yet achievable path to success. |
| Tone 😊 | “And Patience wins the race” | The concluding optimistic tone conveys hope and moral upliftment, inspired by perseverance. |
Themes: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
- Perseverance 🌟: In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, the theme of perseverance emerges as a central pillar, vividly illustrated through the parallel struggles of Robert the Bruce and the spider, whose relentless efforts inspire a profound lesson in tenacity. The poem, which recounts Bruce’s despondency after six defeats, as seen in the line “In five successive fields of fight / Been conqured and dismayed,” juxtaposes his despair with the spider’s six failed attempts to cast its “gossamery thread” across a beam, only to succeed on the seventh try, as noted in “One effort more, his seventh and last! / The hero hailed the sign!” This persistent insect, described as “patient” and “unconquered still,” serves as a metaphor for Bruce’s own journey, encouraging him to rise from his “homeless fugitive forlorn” state and continue his fight for Scotland’s freedom. By concluding with the moral, “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” Barton underscores that steadfast effort, even in the face of repeated failure, ultimately yields success, a message that resonates universally and elevates the poem’s enduring appeal.
- Resilience 💪: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton explores resilience, portraying how both the defeated king and the determined spider recover from setbacks to pursue their goals, a theme woven intricately into the narrative’s emotional arc. Bruce, depicted as “faint and worn” after losing “the meed for which he fought,” embodies a leader battered by circumstances yet capable of renewal, particularly when he observes the spider, which, despite being “six times foiled,” remains “unconquered still” and prepares “once more to try / His courage, strength, and skill.” This observation, occurring in a “cheerless” hut where Bruce lies “absorbed in wakeful thought” of Scotland’s crown, sparks a resurgence of hope, transforming his despair into determination. Barton’s vivid imagery of the spider’s “slender, silken line” that “hung fast” on the seventh attempt symbolizes the fragile yet unbreakable spirit of resilience, suggesting that adversity, while daunting, can be overcome through persistent resolve, a lesson Bruce internalizes to continue his fight.
- Hope 🌈: In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, hope emerges as a transformative force, illuminated through the shift from despair to inspiration as Bruce witnesses the spider’s triumph, which rekindles his ambition for Scotland’s liberation. The poem begins with Bruce in a bleak state, lying in a “lowly shed” with a “heather couch his only bed,” where “slumber fled” as he grapples with thoughts of defeat, as evident in “Through darksome night till dawn of day, / Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay.” Yet, the rising sun, whose “gleam / Fell on that hapless bed,” introduces a literal and figurative light, culminating in the spider’s success, described as “the wished-for beam hung fast / That slender, silken line,” which Bruce interprets as “more than omen.” This moment, where “his spirit caught” the lesson of perseverance, shifts the poem’s tone from despondency to optimism, illustrating how hope, sparked by a small but significant sign, can renew one’s determination to pursue a seemingly unattainable goal.
- Inspiration from Nature 🌿: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton celebrates the theme of inspiration drawn from nature, as the spider’s humble yet determined efforts become a powerful catalyst for Bruce’s renewed resolve, demonstrating nature’s capacity to impart profound human lessons. The poem details Bruce’s observation of the spider, which, in a “rude cot,” attempts to “fling” its “filmy thread” across beams, failing six times yet succeeding on the seventh, as Barton notes, “And on the wished-for beam hung fast / That slender, silken line.” This natural act, described with vivid imagery such as “gossamery thread” and “wary spider,” mirrors Bruce’s own struggle, who, “faint and worn” from battle, finds in the spider’s “toilsome lot” a reflection of his own fight for “Scotland and her crown.” By framing the spider as a teacher to “Scotland’s future king,” Barton emphasizes how nature’s small, persistent creatures can inspire monumental human endeavors, reinforcing the poem’s message that even the simplest acts in the natural world can ignite courage and determination.
Literary Theories and “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
| Literary Theory | Application to “Bruce and the Spider” | References from Poem |
| Formalism 📜 | Formalism focuses on the poem’s structure, language, and literary devices to derive meaning, emphasizing the text itself over external contexts. In “Bruce and the Spider,” Barton employs a tightly structured narrative with consistent rhyme (AABBCCDD) and iambic tetrameter, creating a rhythmic flow that mirrors the spider’s persistent efforts. The use of alliteration, such as “Scotland’s and for freedom’s right,” and imagery, like “The sun rose brightly, and its gleam / Fell on that hapless bed,” enhances the vivid depiction of Bruce’s despair and eventual inspiration. The poem’s climax, where the spider’s “slender, silken line” succeeds on the seventh attempt, uses symbolism to underscore perseverance, with the moral explicitly stated in “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” making the poem’s form and language central to its universal message of resilience. | “Scotland’s and for freedom’s right” (alliteration); “The sun rose brightly, and its gleam / Fell on that hapless bed” (imagery); “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race” (symbolism, moral). |
| Historical/Biographical Criticism 🏰 | This theory examines the poem in the context of its historical setting and the poet’s life. Written in 1827 by Bernard Barton, “Bruce and the Spider” draws on the historical legend of Robert the Bruce, a 14th-century Scottish king who, after repeated defeats, as noted in “In five successive fields of fight / Been conqured and dismayed,” finds inspiration in a spider’s persistence. The poem reflects the Romantic era’s interest in historical heroism and nature’s moral lessons, aligning with Barton’s Quaker background and his focus on moral simplicity. The depiction of Bruce as a “homeless fugitive forlorn” in a “lowly shed” connects to his historical exile, while the spider’s lesson mirrors Barton’s era’s emphasis on individual perseverance, resonating with post-Napoleonic themes of national struggle and recovery. | “In five successive fields of fight / Been conqured and dismayed” (historical defeat); “The homeless fugitive forlorn / A hut’s lone shelter sought” (exile); “Taught Scotland’s future king” (historical figure). |
| Psychological Criticism 🧠 | Psychological criticism explores the inner motivations and emotional states of characters or the poet. In the poem, Bruce’s psyche is central, as he lies “absorbed in wakeful thought” of “Scotland and her crown,” reflecting despair and obsession after repeated failures. The spider, described as “patient” and “unconquered still” despite “six times foiled,” serves as a projection of Bruce’s latent resilience, triggering a psychological shift when he sees it succeed on “his seventh and last” attempt. This moment, where “his spirit caught / The more than omen,” suggests a cognitive transformation from hopelessness to renewed determination, aligning with psychological theories of motivation through external stimuli. Barton’s focus on Bruce’s emotional journey underscores the human capacity to find inspiration in small acts, reflecting universal psychological struggles with failure and recovery. | “Absorbed in wakeful thought he lay / Of Scotland and her crown” (despair); “The patient insect, six times foiled” (resilience); “His spirit caught / The more than omen” (psychological shift). |
| Reader-Response Criticism 📖 | This theory emphasizes the reader’s role in interpreting the text based on personal experiences. “Bruce and the Spider” invites readers to connect with its universal theme of perseverance, as seen in “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” which resonates with anyone facing setbacks. The vivid imagery of Bruce in a “cheerless” hut and the spider’s “gossamery thread” evokes empathy and admiration, allowing readers to project their own struggles onto Bruce’s journey. The biblical allusion, “Which even ‘he who runs may read,’” suggests the lesson’s accessibility, encouraging readers to find personal meaning in the spider’s success. Depending on their context, readers might see the poem as a call to persist in personal, professional, or societal challenges, making its meaning dynamic and reader-dependent. | “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race” (universal theme); “Which even ‘he who runs may read’” (accessible lesson); “The cheerless was that resting-place” (empathy-evoking imagery). |
Critical Questions about “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
- How does “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton use the spider as a symbol to convey its central theme of perseverance? 🌟
In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, the spider serves as a powerful symbol of perseverance, encapsulating the poem’s core message through its relentless efforts, which mirror and ultimately inspire Robert the Bruce’s resolve to continue his fight for Scotland’s freedom. The poem details how Bruce, described as “faint and worn” after being “conqured and dismayed” in “five successive fields of fight,” observes the spider, which, despite failing “six times” to cast its “gossamery thread” across a beam, remains “unconquered still” and succeeds on its “seventh and last” attempt, as Barton writes, “And on the wished-for beam hung fast / That slender, silken line.” This delicate yet triumphant act, which Barton imbues with symbolic weight by noting that “his spirit caught / The more than omen,” transforms the spider into a metaphor for tenacity, teaching Bruce, and by extension the reader, that perseverance, as summarized in “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” can overcome even repeated failures. By paralleling the spider’s small but determined struggle with Bruce’s monumental quest, Barton crafts a universal lesson that elevates the insect’s “toilsome lot” into a profound emblem of human endurance.
- How does the setting in “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton enhance the emotional and thematic impact of the poem? 🏚️
In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, the stark and humble setting of the “lowly shed” amplifies the poem’s emotional depth and thematic focus on resilience by contrasting Bruce’s royal aspirations with his dire circumstances, thus heightening the impact of his eventual inspiration. Barton describes Bruce, who “claimed a throne,” as a “homeless fugitive forlorn” seeking “a hut’s lone shelter,” where “cheerless was that resting-place” with “rude, rough beams” and a “heather couch his only bed,” creating a vivid image of desolation that underscores his despair after “once more against the English host / His band he led, and once more lost.” This bleak setting, where “slumber fled” as Bruce lay “absorbed in wakeful thought” of “Scotland and her crown,” intensifies the emotional weight of his isolation, making the spider’s persistent efforts, observed under the “sun rose brightly” that “tinged with light each shapeless beam,” a stark contrast that symbolizes hope amidst adversity. By situating Bruce’s transformation in such a grim environment, Barton enhances the poem’s theme of finding inspiration in the darkest moments, making the setting a crucial catalyst for the narrative’s emotional and moral resonance.
- What role does the narrative structure of “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton play in building its moral lesson? 📖
In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, the narrative structure, which progresses from Bruce’s despair to his inspiration through a clear sequence of events, methodically builds the poem’s moral lesson of perseverance, culminating in a universally accessible conclusion. Barton begins with Bruce’s repeated defeats, noting that “in five successive fields of fight / Been conqured and dismayed,” establishing a pattern of failure that leads to his retreat to a “cheerless” hut where he lies “faint and worn.” This initial focus on despair, detailed through vivid imagery like “the heather couch his only bed,” sets up the pivotal moment when Bruce observes the spider, which, after “six times” failing to fling its “filmy thread,” succeeds on its “seventh and last” attempt, as Barton writes, “And on the wished-for beam hung fast / That slender, silken line.” The structured progression from Bruce’s despondency to the spider’s triumph, followed by his realization that “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race,” ensures that the moral is earned through a narrative arc that mirrors the spider’s persistent efforts, making the lesson both compelling and relatable to readers who follow the logical and emotional buildup.
- How does “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton reflect Romantic ideals through its portrayal of nature and human struggle? 🌿
In “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, the poem reflects Romantic ideals by portraying nature, embodied by the spider, as a source of profound moral and emotional inspiration for human struggle, aligning with the era’s emphasis on the sublime power of the natural world. Barton presents Bruce, a “homeless fugitive forlorn” who, after losing “the meed for which he fought” in battles, finds solace in a “lowly shed” where he observes a spider that, despite being “six times foiled,” persists until its “slender, silken line” succeeds, as Barton notes, “The hero hailed the sign!” This depiction of the spider’s “toilsome lot” as a lesson that “taught Scotland’s future king” echoes Romanticism’s belief in nature’s capacity to reveal universal truths, with the spider’s small but tenacious act inspiring Bruce to renew his fight for “Scotland and her crown.” Furthermore, the poem’s shift from the “darksome night” to the “sun rose brightly” aligns with Romantic ideals of emotional transformation through nature’s influence, positioning Barton’s work as a celebration of how the natural world, even in its humblest forms, can ignite human resilience and aspiration.
Literary Works Similar to “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
- “The Task” by William Cowper (1785) 🌟
Similarity: Like “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, Cowper’s poem explores perseverance through detailed observations of nature and human endeavor, using vivid imagery to convey moral lessons. - “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns (1785) 🐾
Similarity: Burns’ poem, akin to Barton’s “Bruce and the Spider,” uses a small creature (a mouse) to reflect on human struggles and resilience, blending nature with emotional and moral insights. - “The Skylark” by James Hogg (1815) 🕊️
Similarity: Similar to “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton, Hogg’s poem draws inspiration from a natural creature (a skylark) to symbolize hope and perseverance, emphasizing nature’s uplifting influence. - “Ode to Duty” by William Wordsworth (1807) 📜
Similarity: Wordsworth’s poem echoes Barton’s “Bruce and the Spider” by exploring the virtue of steadfastness and duty, presenting moral resolve as a guiding force through life’s challenges. - “The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1840) ⚒️
Similarity: Like Barton’s “Bruce and the Spider,” Longfellow’s poem celebrates perseverance and hard work through a relatable figure, using narrative and imagery to impart a universal moral lesson.
Representative Quotations of “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “FOR Scotland’s and for freedom’s right” | This opening line introduces Robert the Bruce’s cause, emphasizing his fight for Scotland’s independence against English forces. | Historical/Biographical Criticism: Reflects the historical struggle of Robert the Bruce in the 14th century, aligning with Barton’s Romantic-era focus on national heroism. |
| “In five successive fields of fight / Been conqured and dismayed” | Describes Bruce’s repeated defeats in battle, highlighting his despair and exhaustion. | Psychological Criticism: Illustrates Bruce’s emotional state of defeat and despondency, setting up his psychological journey toward resilience. |
| “The homeless fugitive forlorn / A hut’s lone shelter sought” | Portrays Bruce as a defeated exile seeking refuge in a humble hut, underscoring his fall from power. | Formalism: Uses vivid imagery and alliteration (“forlorn”) to emphasize the contrast between Bruce’s royal aspirations and his current state. |
| “And cheerless was that resting-place / For him who claimed a throne” | Depicts the bleakness of Bruce’s temporary shelter, contrasting it with his kingly ambitions. | Formalism: Employs irony and imagery to highlight the disparity between Bruce’s royal claim and his primitive surroundings. |
| “The sun rose brightly, and its gleam / Fell on that hapless bed” | Introduces a shift in tone with sunlight illuminating the hut, symbolizing emerging hope. | Reader-Response Criticism: Invites readers to interpret the sunlight as a universal symbol of hope, resonating with personal experiences of renewal. |
| “The Bruce beheld a spider try / His filmy thread to fling” | Marks the moment Bruce notices the spider’s persistent efforts, setting up the poem’s central metaphor. | Formalism: Utilizes imagery and symbolism to establish the spider as a metaphor for perseverance, central to the poem’s structure. |
| “Six times his gossamery thread / The wary spider threw” | Details the spider’s repeated, unsuccessful attempts to spin its web, emphasizing its persistence. | Psychological Criticism: Reflects the spider’s resilience, mirroring Bruce’s potential to overcome setbacks through persistent effort. |
| “The patient insect, six times foiled, / And yet unconquered still” | Highlights the spider’s tenacity despite multiple failures, reinforcing its role as an inspiration. | Formalism: Employs personification to attribute human qualities like patience and resilience to the spider, enhancing its symbolic role. |
| “One effort more, his seventh and last! / The hero hailed the sign!” | Describes the spider’s successful seventh attempt, which Bruce interprets as an omen of success. | Reader-Response Criticism: Encourages readers to see the spider’s triumph as a personal call to perseverance, making the poem’s lesson universally applicable. |
| “Perseverance gains its meed, / And Patience wins the race” | Concludes with the poem’s moral, explicitly stating the value of persistence and patience. | Formalism: Uses parallelism and archaic diction (“meed”) to deliver a clear, memorable moral, reinforcing the poem’s structured narrative arc. |
Suggested Readings: “Bruce and the Spider” by Bernard Barton
- Crawford, Robert. “Beyond Scotland.” Bannockburns: Scottish Independence and Literary Imagination, 1314-2014, Edinburgh University Press, 2014, pp. 97–132. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1g09vr2.7. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
- Barton, Bernard. “ROBERT BRUCE AND THE SPIDER.” The Wesleyan-Methodist magazine 8 (1829): 432-432.
- BARCUS, JAMES E., editor. “The Literary Correspondence of Bernard Barton.” The Literary Correspondence of Bernard Barton, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1966, pp. 40–150. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv4v2xjr.6. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.