Get complete, authentic, and step-by-step DAV Class 7 English Literature Chapter 8 Question Answers: The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt. This comprehensive textbook solution includes Poem Summary & Stanza Analysis, Understanding the Poem (Textbook Comprehension Questions), Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), Life Skills & Values, and Writing Skills (Diary Entry) strictly adhering to the DAV Education Board curriculum.
1. Detailed Summary and Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis
Poet: Mary Howitt
Form: Cautionary Fable in Verse (Dialogue between a Spider and a Fly)
Core Theme: The catastrophic danger of vanity and susceptibility to deceitful flattery.
Poem Summary:
“The Spider and the Fly” is a classic cautionary tale illustrating how cunning manipulators exploit human vanity. The poem depicts a cunning spider trying to lure an innocent fly into his web through an escalating series of temptations. Initially, the spider offers material comforts: an invitation to tour his “pretty parlour” up a winding stair, a rest in a cozy bed with silken curtains, and a delicious treat from his pantry. The fly prudently declines each material temptation, stating she knows that whoever enters his parlour, sleeps on his bed, or peeks into his pantry never returns alive.
Recognizing that physical bribes fail against caution, the cunning spider switches to his most lethal weapon: insidious flattery. He lavishes excessive praise upon her appearance, admiring her pearl and silver robes, her gauzy brilliant wings, and her sparkling eyes, while inviting her to gaze into his looking-glass (mirror). Blinded by vanity and self-admiration, the foolish fly drops her guard. As she hovers closer to listen to more sweet praise, the spider leaps from his web, seizes her in his sharp claws, and drags her into his gloomy den. The concluding stanza delivers an earnest moral warning to children never to heed sweet-tongued, deceitful flatterers.
Spider’s Temptations vs Fly’s Responses
| Spider’s Temptation | Fly’s Initial Prudent Reaction | Outcome / Moral Significance |
|---|---|---|
| The Parlour: Up a winding stair with pretty things to see. | Refuses firmly; knows whoever goes up never comes down again. | Material temptation resisted through caution and logic. |
| The Bed: Cozy sheets and fine silken curtains to rest. | Refuses; knows that those who sleep on his bed never wake up. | Suspicion protects her from physical comfort traps. |
| The Pantry: Abundant sweet treats and delicious store. | Refuses; states she has heard what lies within his dark pantry. | Healthy skepticism overcomes appetite and curiosity. |
| Flattery & Mirror: Praises gauzy wings, pearl robes, and glittering eyes. | Succumbs to vanity; hovers closer to admire her reflection and hear compliments. | Lethal Trap: Flattery disarms her intellect; she is captured and killed. |
2. Understanding the Poem (Textbook Question-Answers)
Q1: What are the various offers made by the spider to tempt the fly into his parlour?
Answer: The spider attempts to entice the fly with five distinct temptations:
1. An invitation to see the pretty sights inside his “pretty parlour” via a winding stair.
2. A comfortable rest on a delicate bed adorned with fine silken curtains.
3. A delicious feast of sweet treats from his pantry.
4. A looking-glass (mirror) on his table for the fly to admire her own beauty.
5. Sweet, honeyed compliments praising her pearl-and-silver robes, gauzy wings, and glittering eyes.
Q2: Why does the fly decline the spider’s first three invitations?
Answer: The fly declines the spider’s first three invitations because she is fully aware of his predatory nature and the fatal consequences:
– She knows from past warnings that anyone who ascends the winding stair never descends.
– She knows that those who rest upon his bed never wake again.
– She is aware of the gruesome reality inside his pantry and refuses to sample his store.
Q3: How does the spider ultimately succeed in trapping the fly?
Answer: The spider succeeds by appealing to the fly’s vanity through deceitful flattery. When material lures fail, the spider feigns admiration for her sparkling eyes, gauzy wings, and graceful shape. Overcome by pride and deafened to caution by sweet praise, the foolish fly draws closer to the web to hear more compliments. The spider seizes the opportunity, pounces on her, and drags her into his deadly lair.
Q4: What is the moral lesson conveyed in the concluding stanza?
Answer: The concluding stanza delivers a direct warning to young readers to close their ears, eyes, and hearts against idle, sweet-tongued flatterers. It teaches that vanity blinds us to mortal danger, and listening to unearned praise often leads directly to deception and ruin.
3. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Question: Why is flattery considered a far more dangerous weapon than physical force or material bribes?
Answer: Physical force and material bribes naturally trigger suspicion, logical analysis, and defensive instincts. As demonstrated in the poem, the fly effortlessly recognized the danger of the parlour, the bed, and the pantry because these were obvious physical traps. However, flattery operates subtly by targeting a person’s ego and emotional vanity. It creates an illusion of admiration, lowering critical judgment and self-awareness. When people are flattered, their pride convinces them that the compliments are genuine, leading them to voluntarily abandon their defenses. Consequently, flattery disarms the victim from within, making it far more destructive than overt force or material bribery.
4. Life Skills and Values
Life Skills: Developing critical thinking and self-awareness against manipulation.
Answer: To safeguard ourselves against manipulation, we must cultivate emotional intelligence and self-awareness:
1. Distinguish Praise from Flattery: Genuine praise is specific and unselfish, whereas manipulative flattery is extravagant, exaggerated, and aimed at personal gain.
2. Maintain Humility: Remaining grounded prevents external compliments from inflating our ego to the point of compromising good judgment.
3. Pause and Evaluate: Never make impulsive decisions while under the emotional influence of lavish compliments.
Values: Humility, discernment, and vigilance.
Reflection: True self-worth comes from character, moral integrity, and humility, not superficial external admiration. A discerning person values truthful criticism over deceitful sweet talk.
5. Writing Skills: Diary Entry
Task: Imagine you are the Fly just before your fatal mistake, reflecting on the spider’s compliments in your diary.
DIARY ENTRY: THE LITTLE FLY
Date: 12 October 2026
Time: Evening
Dear Diary,
What an unusual day it has been! Earlier this afternoon, Mr. Spider invited me to visit his parlour up that winding stair. Naturally, I refused immediately, remembering mother’s warning that nobody ever returns from his web. He then offered me his comfortable bed and food from his pantry, but I saw right through his tricks and turned him down cold.
Yet just as I was buzzing away, he called after me with the sweetest words I have ever heard! He remarked that my robes are made of pearl and silver, that my wings glitter like gauze in the sunlight, and that my eyes sparkle like diamonds. He even invited me to look into his looking-glass to admire myself! Could it be that everyone has judged him too harshly? Surely someone who speaks with such admiration and refined taste cannot mean any harm. I think I will fly just a little closer to hear him speak again – just one quick look into the looking-glass cannot possibly hurt…
The Little Fly
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