Summary

The speaker begins by observing that "small" atoms make the world out of themselves (1). They are "subtle," meaning that they are flexible and able to change shapes (2). They are in constant motion, always finding new forms to take. The speaker compares atoms creating matter to humans building a house of brick or stone. The process of finding and fitting the correct material to a place of the right size creates the house, just as atoms do through their constant motion. Atoms, the speaker contends, work together to create the right "fit" (14). Like "workmen," they collaborate (16). The poem ends by raising the question of whether atoms create worlds by chance, or if there is predestination involved.

Analysis

Margaret Cavendish published this piece in her collection titled Poems and Fancies. “Fancy” did not necessarily mean something elegant or refined—in the early modern era, it could...