Precis: "The Bat"

In “The Bat”, Theodore Roethke uses a cautious tone to describe how one should take their life seriously and not party all night. He creates this theme by using end rhymes and a one key metaphor throughout. The poem is grouped into five sections of two. Each section has two end rhymes, such as “mouse” and “house”, “head” and “dead”, “night” and “light”, “screen” and “scene”, and “place and “face”. The rhyme of mouse and house depict how this person likes to be a mouse and sleep in his home during the day. However, two stanzas later, the rhymes of night and light depict how during the night there is light and celebration. The rhymes prove how this person is wasting his time; he sleeps the day away, but has festivities at night. The major metaphor takes the rest of the poem home. The person, the speaker is discussing, is compared to a bat/mouse. Bats and mice tend to sleep during the day and frolic around at night. The final line of the poem says “When mice with wings can wear a human face.” This seemingly proves how humans can behave in a similar manner to these creatures. They too can party all night and sleep during the day. Theodore Roethke warns people of the bad habits these actions can create through usage of a metaphor and rhymes.