The Spider and the Fly
by Mary Howitt

“Will you step into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly;
“’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.”
“O no, no,” said the little fly, “to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne’er come down again.”

Etc., etc., etc.

Surely, you can do better than this one!

This is perhaps the most famous poem
on spiders in the English language.

It is also one of the worst poems in the
English language, even though its first
line introduced a famous phrase into
the language.

This is just the first stanza of a poem
which goes on interminably.

A very bad poem, with no redeeming
scientific value. You can do better.