Glenn Irwin’s “Two Butterflies” dramatizes the progression of maturity and life experience through the images of two distinct butterflies. The poem is purposely divided into two stanzas: morning and evening. The stanzas each represent a butterfly during a different stage of their life. The morning butterfly has only just completed the transition stage from a pupa to an adult butterfly, while the evening butterfly nears the end of the adult stage. The movement from morning to evening illustrates to difference between the two butterflies’ experience with age. As one matures and gains life experience, their connection to humanity strengthens while their connection to nature diminishes.
The morning butterfly is introduced as “still moist / from the cocoon” (lines 2-3). After spending anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months in the protection of his cocoon, he is now abruptly faced with the beginning of his new life. The movement in this stanza shows his attempt to form life experience. He is “staggering / in small circles,”…show more content… The phrase “placed there” is used in lines 17 and 21 to describe the evening butterfly. This phrase is particularly important when compared to the morning butterfly, who is struggling to be placed anywhere. “Placed there”, like “perfectly,” “gently,” and “intentionally,” reiterates the sureness of the evening butterfly in her environment. Through her connection to humanity, she gained experience over time. There is only a suggestion of movement in the last few lines, as the speaker observes she has “edges I might / peel away” (23-24). The only potential movement comes from the human, not the butterfly herself, exemplifying her fully developed connection to civilization. However, as she was “placed there,” she can also be easily “peel[ed] away.” All life has an inevitable ending. The potential interference of the speaker suggests the eventual ending of
