A video posted on Twitter shows a rare, close view of the intricate process of how a spider spins its web. The perfectionism and labour required makes it an apt metaphor for the process of writing poetry, as poet Jake Skeets, who posted the video, points out.

Spider webs are masterpieces of geometry and architecture, and to fulfil their purpose they must be flexible, sturdy and just sticky enough. Primarily, they must dissipate the kinetic energy of the impacting prey while minimising structural damage. The video above gives a fascinating insight into the secondary frame of a spider orb web, which is integral to its structure.