Allegory is a form of storytelling where the characters, events, or settings convey two layers of meaning: a literal, surface-level meaning and a deeper, symbolic or moral one. The second, unstated meaning often reflects broader themes such as morality, politics, or human nature. An allegory is similar to but not the same as a double entendre, though they both involve multiple meanings. A double entendre typically refers to a word or phrase with two interpretations, one of which is often risqué or indecent. In contrast, an allegory extends across an entire narrative, often using characters, events, or settings to represent abstract ideas. For example, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an allegory where the story about animals on a farm has an underlying political meaning about the Russian Revolution.

Bowl of Ants

We had no cereal, the cupboards—bare,
So the neighbor gave us some to share,
But the box was old, its sweetness stale,
And hidden inside it, an antistic trail.

Mother smiled as she poured the milk,
A precious stream, like liquid silk.
I clutched my spoon with hungry might,
Ready to feast on this rare delight.

But up they crawled, from the milky sea,
Tiny invaders, I didn’t foresee.
I wept, disgusted, my mother, ashamed of my cry,
with stern resolve, she picked at the bowl—awry.

“Be grateful,” she whispered, her voice so tight,
For in our world, wrong is often right.
She swept away the ants with hands so thin,
And told me to eat, my tears tucked in.

I choked on shame, as ants returned,
A bitter lesson, harshly learned.
For when you’re poor, you swallow down,
The ants, the pride, and hide your frown.

This poem is an allegory because it uses the literal event of eating cereal with ants in it as a metaphor for the broader experience of poverty and the difficult choices it imposes. The surface story is about a child receiving old, infested cereal from a neighbor and feeling disgusted. However, the underlying meaning points to the struggles of poverty, shame, and survival.