Cockroaches - Yambo
IEB 2025
Turn on the light
and helter-skelter
they scuttle
to their dark shelters.
Cut them off
From their hideouts
block
their many approaches
and see cockroaches
in hopeless flurry
and helpless worry.
But
who ordained
the crash-fall
of sandals
on these
shy creatures?
Or
is it their love
of darkness
holds them suspect?
, - It suggests an action that causes immediate change.
- The line triggers a shift in the environment, moving from
darkness to light.
Turn on the light - This moment can symbolize revelation or exposure. The
phrase has an underlying sense of control.
- It implies that light brings clarity or truth.
- The line sets the tone for what follows: chaos, panic, and
fear from the cockroaches.
- The phrase suggests chaos and confusion, evoking a
rapid, disorderly movement.
- It uses imagery to depict the frantic motion of the
cockroaches.
- The repetition of sounds in "helter-skelter" creates a
and helter-skelter sense of hurried, confused action.
- This is an example of onomatopoeia, "helter-skelter"
imitates the sound of something chaotic or disordered.
- The hyphen clarifies the connection between the two
parts and ensures they are understood together as a
single concept rather than two separate words.
- "scuttle" also personifies the cockroaches, as it implies
an anxious, almost deliberate action.
- The rhythm of the line is fast-paced, enhancing the sense
they scuttle of urgency.
- There is no punctuation used in this line, focusing the
reader on the action.
- It reflects the uncontrolled movement of the
cockroaches, amplifying the chaos.
- Normally, creatures seek light for safety, but
cockroaches are nocturnal and thrive in darkness.
- Their shelter in the dark symbolizes their avoidance of
light, which they associate with danger or exposure.
- The darkness provides them with a sense of security and
to their dark shelters. concealment, offering protection from predators or
threats.
- This behavior contrasts with the common instinct of
seeking light for safety, creating a sense of irony.
- In the poem, the "dark shelters" emphasize the
cockroaches' fear of the outside world and their need
for secrecy.
- The line has no punctuation marks except the period,
indicating the end of the thought.
IEB 2025
Turn on the light
and helter-skelter
they scuttle
to their dark shelters.
Cut them off
From their hideouts
block
their many approaches
and see cockroaches
in hopeless flurry
and helpless worry.
But
who ordained
the crash-fall
of sandals
on these
shy creatures?
Or
is it their love
of darkness
holds them suspect?
, - It suggests an action that causes immediate change.
- The line triggers a shift in the environment, moving from
darkness to light.
Turn on the light - This moment can symbolize revelation or exposure. The
phrase has an underlying sense of control.
- It implies that light brings clarity or truth.
- The line sets the tone for what follows: chaos, panic, and
fear from the cockroaches.
- The phrase suggests chaos and confusion, evoking a
rapid, disorderly movement.
- It uses imagery to depict the frantic motion of the
cockroaches.
- The repetition of sounds in "helter-skelter" creates a
and helter-skelter sense of hurried, confused action.
- This is an example of onomatopoeia, "helter-skelter"
imitates the sound of something chaotic or disordered.
- The hyphen clarifies the connection between the two
parts and ensures they are understood together as a
single concept rather than two separate words.
- "scuttle" also personifies the cockroaches, as it implies
an anxious, almost deliberate action.
- The rhythm of the line is fast-paced, enhancing the sense
they scuttle of urgency.
- There is no punctuation used in this line, focusing the
reader on the action.
- It reflects the uncontrolled movement of the
cockroaches, amplifying the chaos.
- Normally, creatures seek light for safety, but
cockroaches are nocturnal and thrive in darkness.
- Their shelter in the dark symbolizes their avoidance of
light, which they associate with danger or exposure.
- The darkness provides them with a sense of security and
to their dark shelters. concealment, offering protection from predators or
threats.
- This behavior contrasts with the common instinct of
seeking light for safety, creating a sense of irony.
- In the poem, the "dark shelters" emphasize the
cockroaches' fear of the outside world and their need
for secrecy.
- The line has no punctuation marks except the period,
indicating the end of the thought.
