The Drones and the Bee by Tomás de Iriarte
In an allegorical verse, idle male figures, known for their laziness, convene to address their notorious reputation. They determine that rather than engaging in the laborious process of producing honey—a task integral to the wellbeing and prosperity of the community—they should instead bolster their image by venerating a celebrated, recently deceased female who once excelled in this role. The males organize an extravagant funeral, filled with grandiloquent praises and ceremonial honors, with the intent of using this homage as a substitute for actual industrious effort. Their display of self-congratulation and adherence to outdated, unearned wisdom is met with sharp criticism from a diligent, working member of the community. This figure scorns their empty gestures and hollow rhetoric, emphasizing that no amount of pomp or borrowed eloquence can replicate the genuine value produced by dedicated labor. The poem thus satirizes the tendency to cover deficiencies in skill or work ethic with superficial tributes, highlighting a broader commentary on the difference between authentic achievement and the mere imitation of noble ideals. It ultimately critiques those who, rather than contributing productively, rely on the echoes of past renown to deflect attention from their own shortcomings.
By Tomás de Iriarte · First published 1782 · Genre: Satire, Allegory, Fable · 330 words
First lines
By a sense of their bad reputation molested, / The Drones in grave council assembled one day; / And various measures each idler suggested, / To wash of their sloth the sad stigma away.
No other expedient well could they see, / In the eyes of all animals better to stand -- / Though lazy and stupid as well they could be -- / Than to try, at the making of honey, their hand.
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The Drones and the Bee is listed on Textopian as a fable by Tomás de Iriarte, dated 1782 CE.
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- Work type: Fable
- Author: Tomás de Iriarte
- Date: 1782 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Allegory, Fable, Humorous Poetry
- Length: 330 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Genres
- Satire — The work employs wit and irony to criticize pretentiousness and laziness in societal behavior.
- Allegory — The poem uses animal characters as symbols to represent broader human vices and follies.
- Fable — It presents moral lessons through anthropomorphic characters and a narrative structure common to fables.
- Humorous Poetry — The text blends verse with comedic elements to deliver its critique in an entertaining manner.
Tags
fable · allegory · animal story · insect behavior · nature narrative · social commentary · didactic literature · satire · classic literature · moral tale · poetic prose · symbolism