Firefly Poem- Summary & Analysis

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About the Poem “Firefly”

Poem Title	Firefly
Author	Jacqueline Woodson
Genre	Lyric poem
Form	Free verse
Theme	Magic, childhood, wishes
Setting	A park in the evening
Narrator	A child
Characters	The child, the firefly
Mood	Whimsical, nostalgic
Imagery	Light, darkness, stars, park
Sound devices	Alliteration (“Lightning bug! Firefly!”), assonance (“I caught a firefly in my hand”)
Message	Firefly wishes always come true

Themes of Firefly

The themes of the poem “Firefly” by Jacqueline Woodson are:

Magic ➤ The firefly is a symbol of magic and wonder. It is a reminder that there is still beauty and mystery in the world.
Childhood ➤ The poem captures the innocence and excitement of childhood. It is a time when everything seems possible and wishes can come true.
Wishes ➤ The poem suggests that wishes can be powerful, even if they are made to a tiny firefly. It also reminds us that it is important to believe in our dreams.

“Firefly” Poem by Jacqueline Woodson

It’s almost May and yesterday

I saw a firefly.

You don’t see them a lot in the city.

Sometimes in the park

in the near dark one comes out

you’ll hear a little kid shout

Lightning bug! Firefly!

It’s almost May and yesterday

I caught a firefly in my hand.

First firefly I seen in a

long, long time.

Make a wish,

Miss Edna said.

Make a good one.

Firefly wishes always come true.

Firefly Summary & Analysis

The poem “Firefly” by Jacqueline Woodson is a short and simple poem about a child who sees a firefly in the park. The child is excited to see the firefly, as it is a reminder that spring is coming. The child catches the firefly in their hand and makes a wish. They then release the firefly back into the wild.

Stanza 1

In the first stanza, the speaker tells us that it is almost May and that they saw a firefly yesterday. They say that fireflies are not seen very often in the city, but that sometimes they come out in the park, near dark.

Stanza 2

In the second stanza, the speaker tells us that they caught a firefly in their hand. It was the first firefly they had seen in a long time. The speaker says that Miss Edna told them to make a wish and to make it a good one, because firefly wishes always come true.

Stanza 3

In the third and final stanza, the speaker tells us that they released the firefly back into the wild. They do not tell us what they wished for, but they leave us with the feeling that their wish will come true.