What is it?
The itsy bitsy spider is a nursery rhyme for children, which is generally accompanied by finger movements. It is a song for pre-school age children in the United States, England and other English speaking countries. The finger movements mimic a spider climbing up and being washed out of a drainpipe. It is fun for children to sing and practice finger movements to, working on their cognitive and locomotive skills.
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The Origin :
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The song was first published "in 1910, as a song for adults in “Camp and Camino in lower California” with the words 'blooming, bloody' instead of 'itsy bitsy'" (1). It later appeared in other publications of children's nursery rhymes with the words changed to 'itsy bitsy', a more kid-friendly alternative. It became popular through repetition and was likely passed down through friends and family as a children's nursery rhyme.
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Meaning :
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It is believed by some that the poem is an "allegory of the struggle of the lower classes" (2). The spider represents the lower class struggling to make its way in society. The waterspout represents the myth of the American dream, as though it is something achievable to all, when the reality is that life is unfair and hard work does not always pay off. The rain represents the upper class hindering the forward progress of the lower class toward achieving the American dream. The sun represents false hope given to the lower class, that are just frequent enough to keep them striving toward an unachievable goal.
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