The lesson being taught in this poem is that there is a price for everything we have, and knowledge cannot be captured in a "bottle". The dragonfly is described in the poem as this little delicate creation which is very maneuverable and acrobatic. Less image than thought is saying the dragonfly has very little to show on top where things are obvious, this is an effective simile because people tend to think of bugs as having a very small brains. The dragonfly later on becomes the victim of the father. The child would not suspect that something as little and innocent looking can actually hav…
