Multiple-meaning words can be so loaded with meaning that they surprise readers into a new way of looking at the world. A good example of how poets do this is in Jean Toomer's poem "Beehive," which you may have read in an earlier lesson. The title and opening lines lead readers to think of one thing—unsurprisingly, it's bees—but multiple-meaning words provide additional surprises, suggesting other ideas as well.
Listen to Toomer's "Beehive" as you read the poem. Look out for words that are repeated throughout the poem and words that might have multiple meanings.
Beehive
Within this black hive to-night
There swarm a million bees;
Bees passing in and out the moon,
Bees escaping out the moon,
Bees returning through the moon,
Silver bees intently buzzing,
Silver honey dripping from the swarm of bees
Earth is a waxen cell of the world comb,
And I, a drone,
Lying on my back,
Lipping honey,
Getting drunk with that silver honey,
Wish that I might fly out past the moon
And curl forever in some far-off farmyard flower.
Jean Toomer
Now that you're familiar with "Beehive," consider how the poet's careful word choices guide your understanding of the poem. Write your own answer to each of these questions. Then compare your answers to the sample answers at the end.
Beehive
Within this black hive to-night
There swarm a million bees;
Bees passing in and out the moon,
Bees escaping out the moon,
Bees returning through the moon,
Silver bees intently buzzing,
Silver honey dripping from the swarm of bees
Earth is a waxen cell of the world comb,
And I, a drone,
Lying on my back,
Lipping honey,
Getting drunk with that silver honey,
Wish that I might fly out past the moon
And curl forever in some far-off farmyard flower.
Jean Toomer
"Beehive" was written by a member of the Harlem Renaissance, an African American movement in art and literature. What two meanings might the word black have, as it’s used in the poem’s first sentence?
The word hive in the first line obviously refers to the bees’ home, in a literal sense. But what broader meaning might hive have, in this context?
The bees don’t just buzz—they buzz intently. What meanings might intently suggest about the bees’ activity?
What meanings does the word cell, in "Earth is a waxen cell of the world comb," suggest? How do these meanings fit the poem at this point?
A drone bee is a stingless bee that doesn’t gather pollen but stays in the hive to take care of the queen bee. Why does the speaker refer to himself as a "drone" drinking honey?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
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It could refer to the color black and also to a race—to African American artists and writers. |
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It could refer to a "hive of activity"—a place where a lot is happening, such as New York City during the Harlem Renaissance—or to a specific street or building in Harlem. |
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Intently could refer to constant, busy activity. But it also suggests the idea of purposeful activity—actions taken with specific intents and goals. Real bees are intent on supplying the hive. The artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance also had goals and dreams that they pursued intently. |
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Cells in a hive are the tidy, neat, six-sided containers bees build for larvae and for honey storage, which is a positive meaning. Cell might refer to the many homes of the people who make Harlem hum with activity. But a cell is also a place where a prisoner is trapped, so the speaker may feel that he doesn’t have the freedom to act as he wants to or be what he hopes to. |
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Perhaps the speaker is glad to be part of the energetic, exciting hive that is Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. He seems inspired by the "silver honey" to want to fly in his own way. But another meaning of drone is "someone whose work is drudgery and lacking in meaning" or "an unappreciated worker." The speaker may also feel that something is lacking in his life, so he imagines flying "past the moon" to rest in a beautiful place. |
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