Boleslaw Lesmian's poem "Bees" is a powerful and evocative piece that explores themes of life, death,

and the mysteries of existence. The poem takes us into the dark and hidden depths of the earth, where
the dead lie in their eternal slumber, surrounded by nothingness. But even here, in the heart of death,
something stirs: the sound of buzzing bees, lost and wandering in the shadows.

Lesmian's poem creates a vivid and haunting image of these bees, which have strayed from their usual
path and are now trapped in a wasteland of malign hives. Their glittering swarm, with its strange and
ominous hum, is a symbol of life and vitality in the midst of death and decay. The dead, delighted and
awed by the bees' presence, raise their stick hands in wonder and cry out in recognition, "They're bees!
You remember? They're bees; that's for sure!"

But the bees themselves are caught in a struggle for survival, as they navigate the darkness and seek an
escape from their underground prison. Their "gold litter" - a reference to their precious honey - is both a
reminder of the beauty and bounty of life, and a poignant symbol of their own impending demise. The
dead, watching from the sidelines, are consumed by their own pain and longing for life, even as they
marvel at the bees' glittering display.

Ultimately, the poem suggests that even in the midst of death and darkness, there is still hope and the
possibility of renewal. The bees catch a scent and follow it, shining brighter and brighter as they draw
closer to the world above. But their light ultimately fades at the corner, leaving the dead to watch and
wonder where they have gone.

In conclusion, "Bees" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that uses rich imagery and symbolism
to explore the themes of life, death, and the mysteries of existence. Through its vivid and haunting
portrayal of the bees and the dead, the poem reminds us of the fragility and preciousness of life, and the
enduring human longing for connection, renewal, and hope.
Boleslaw Lesmian's poem "Bees" is a contemplation on the nature of life and death through the
metaphor of bees. The poem presents an image of bees buzzing in an underground space where the
dead reside. The bees have strayed from their usual path and are now in a place where they shouldn't
be. The buzzing of the bees catches the attention of Death, who quickens his step upon hearing it.

The poem goes on to describe the strange and mesmerizing sight of the swarm of bees. The dead are
delighted and fascinated by the bees, shielding their eyes from the glare of the swarm. They cry out to
each other, remembering the bees from their past lives. The bees' buzzing triggers old memories in the
dead, and the pain of those memories consumes them anew.

Lesmian then describes how the bees' light, which is like a golden glow, is both a symbol of life and a
reminder of death. The dead watch the bees' journey as they catch a scent and follow it to the exit,
where their light dies at the corner. The poem ends with the dead still watching, wondering where the
bees have gone.

The poem's central metaphor is the bees, which represent life and vitality. The bees' journey from the
darkness of the underground space to the light of the world symbolizes the cycle of life and death. The
bees' light, which is both beautiful and fleeting, represents the transience of life and the inevitability of
death.

Lesmian's language in the poem is rich with sensory imagery, creating a vivid and haunting atmosphere.
The buzzing of the bees is described as a "glittering swarm's humming jive," and the dead are "wrapped
up in ungoodly mist." These images evoke a sense of mystery and foreboding, emphasizing the poem's
themes of life and death.

In conclusion, "Bees" is a powerful meditation on the nature of life and death through the metaphor of
bees. Lesmian's language and imagery create a haunting and evocative atmosphere that lingers long
after the poem has ended. The poem is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to explore the
deepest mysteries of the human experience
Bolesław Leśmian was a Polish poet and writer known for his avant-garde poetry that often explored
themes of death, isolation, and the human condition. "Bees" is one of his most famous poems, originally
published in 1920 in the collection entitled "Łąka" (The Meadow). The poem has been translated into
English by Adam Czerniawski.

In the poem, the speaker describes a dark and eerie underground world where the dead exist without
any roof over their heads. On a certain eternal night in July, the dead hear a buzzing sound, which turns
out to be a swarm of bees that have strayed from the usual path of existence and are now in a
wasteland that resembles malign hives. The bees' humming is so strange and glittering that it evokes
fear in the dead who are watching them.

The dead, however, are also delighted by the bees' presence, and they raise their dry stick hands as
shields from the glare while exclaiming, "They're bees! You remember? They're bees; that's for sure!"
The bees awaken the dead's pangs that were once smothered, and they feel thankful for each wakened
wound.

The speaker then describes the bees' light zigzagging a gold into death and then zagging out alive, which
once upon a time the dead knew as a wondrous gold litter. However, now, desolate and wrapped up in
ungoodly mist, they marvel over the bees' winged charade's glitters and the speeding teaser's humming
wisps. The bees catch a scent of the exit, and they shine on in crowds that grow thinner until they reach
the world where their light dies at the corner. The dead watch where they went until they disappear
completely.

Overall, the poem explores the theme of life and death and the fleeting nature of existence. The bees
symbolize life, and their presence awakens the dead's memories of a time when they were alive.
However, the dead cannot join the bees in the world, and they remain trapped in their underground
world. The poem's tone is both eerie and wistful, evoking a sense of melancholy and longing for life.

Context: Bolesław Leśmian was a Polish poet and writer who lived from 1877 to 1937. He is considered
one of the most important figures in Polish poetry of the 20th century.
Significance: "Bees" is one of Leśmian's most famous poems, known for its use of vivid imagery and
symbolism. It explores themes of life and death, and the fleeting nature of existence.

Summary: The poem describes a group of bees that have strayed from their usual path and end up in a
dark, underground place where the dead reside. The dead, who are delighted to see the bees, marvel at
their glowing appearance and follow them as they try to find their way out. However, the bees
eventually disappear, leaving the dead to ponder their fleeting existence. The poem is a meditation on
the nature of life and death, and the beauty and transience of all living things.

"Bees" by Bolesław Leśmian is a poem that explores the concept of life and death through the imagery
of bees. The poem is structured into four stanzas, each consisting of eight lines with a consistent rhyme
scheme of ABABCDCD. The language used is rich in metaphor and symbolism, contributing to the overall
meaning of the poem.

The poem's identity is that of a metaphorical journey into the afterlife, where the dead are in
underground seclusion, and Death himself is a character that hears the buzz of the bees. The key
metaphor is the bees themselves, which symbolize the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of
death. The bees have strayed from the pathway of being, indicating the transition from life to death, and
they are like malign hives, representing the negative aspects of death.

The imagery used in the poem is striking and powerful. The glittering swarm's humming jive and the
bees' speeding teaser's humming wisps create a sense of movement and urgency, emphasizing the
fleeting nature of life. The dead's dry stick hands raised up as shields from the glare create a visual
image of the dead shielding themselves from the bees' light, which symbolizes life.

The tone of the poem is one of melancholy and resignation. The dead are delighted at the sight of the
bees, but their joy is tinged with sadness and longing. The pangs sleep once smothered consume them
anew, indicating that they are experiencing a renewed sense of pain and loss. The mood of the poem is
somber, with a sense of inevitability permeating the entire piece.

The emotional response that the poem evokes in the reader is one of sadness and reflection. The
imagery and language used create a vivid picture of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of
death. The poem's melancholy tone and somber mood add to this feeling, creating a sense of
resignation and acceptance in the face of mortality.
In conclusion, "Bees" by Bolesław Leśmian is a poignant poem that explores the concepts of life and
death through the metaphor of bees. The rich language, powerful imagery, and consistent rhyme
scheme contribute to the overall meaning of the poem, evoking a sense of sadness and reflection in the
reader

3.

Leśmian's poem "Bees" are life, death, and the human condition. The poem explores the idea of
existence beyond death and the struggle to maintain vitality in the face of nothingness.

The poem describes a group of bees that have strayed from their path and entered a realm of the dead.
The dead are fascinated by the bees and are reminded of the life they once had. The poem suggests that
even in death, the desire for life persists, and the memory of it is cherished. The bees represent life,
vitality, and movement, while the dead symbolize stagnation and finality.

The use of vivid imagery and metaphor throughout the poem helps to convey these themes. For
example, the bees are described as a "glittering swarm's humming jive" that is "eagerly gleaming,"
highlighting the beauty and vitality of life. In contrast, the dead are portrayed as having "dry stick hands"
and being wrapped up in "ungoodly mist," emphasizing their lifeless state.

The poem also explores the idea of the afterlife and the possibility of a journey beyond death. The bees
catch a scent of the exit and move towards it, implying that there may be a way out of the underworld.
However, their light ultimately dies at the corner, suggesting that there may be no escape from death.

In conclusion, "Bees" is a contemplative poem that delves into the themes of life, death, and the human
condition. Through the use of vivid imagery and metaphor, the poem explores the desire for life beyond
death and the struggle to maintain vitality in the face of nothingness.

Bolesław Leśmian wrote "Bees" in the early 20th century, a time of significant cultural and social
changes in Europe. Leśmian was a Polish poet, and Poland was under foreign occupation at the time,
which influenced much of his work.

The poem reflects the pervasive feeling of gloom and despair that characterized the time, particularly in
Poland. The use of imagery to describe the dead as being trapped in an underground realm, with
"nothingness" as their only roof, reflects a sense of hopelessness and entrapment. The bees, in contrast,
represent life and vitality, which the dead long for but can never have again.
The poem also reflects the influence of Symbolism, a literary and artistic movement that rejected the
emphasis on realism and rationalism that characterized the Enlightenment and instead emphasized the
importance of emotions, intuition, and the supernatural. The use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and
personification in the poem is characteristic of Symbolist poetry.

Furthermore, the poem's exploration of life and death reflects the broader cultural fascination with
death and the afterlife that was prevalent in the early 20th century. This was partly due to the high
mortality rates resulting from World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic, which had a profound impact
on people's attitudes towards death and the afterlife.

Overall, "Bees" reflects the historical and cultural context of its time, particularly the sense of despair
and hopelessness that characterized much of Europe during the early 20th century, as well as the
influence of Symbolism and the cultural fascination with death and the afterlife.

Conclusion In "Bees," Bolesław Leśmian creates a vivid and haunting image of the dead in an
underground space who are visited by a swarm of bees. The poem explores themes of life and death,
the passage of time, and the human condition. Through the imagery of the bees and their movements,
Leśmian highlights the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. The dead are both fascinated
and terrified by the bees, representing a mix of emotions that humans often experience when
contemplating their own mortality. The historical and cultural context of the poem, influenced by the
poet's experiences in early 20th century Poland, also adds layers of meaning and interpretation to the
text. Overall, "Bees" is a rich and thought-provoking work that invites readers to reflect on the
complexities of existence and the mystery of life after death.

Work cited

Leśmian, Bolesław. "Bees." Translated by Adam Czerniawski. Modern Poetry in Translation, no. 1, 1965,
pp. 3-4.

What is poetry about Boleslaw Lesmian's "Bees"?