Insect Poem

Death is like the insect
Menacing the tree,
Competent to kill it,
But decoyed may be.

Bait it with the balsam,
Seek it with the saw,
Baffle, if it cost you
Everything you are.

Then, if it have burrowed
Out of reach of skill --
Wring the tree and leave it,
'Tis the vermin's will.

I think this poem is saying that no matter how hard you try you can't stop death. The bug is death and it is trying to kill the tree. The tree can try to avoid, trick, or pospone death but eventually it will lose. People can always try to pospone death, especially with moderen medicine you can stay alive a lot long but eventually death will take you. Then, once death gets you it will just move on to the next person.