A bird came down the walk analysis
In the poem A bird came down the walk explore how Dickinson presents her responses to natural phenomena, including discussion of other relevant poems.
A Bird came down the Walk—
He did not know I saw—
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass—
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass—
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around—
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought—
He stirred his Velvet Head
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home—
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam—
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.
Dickinson presents natural phenomena in the poem A bird came down the walk with an aura of awe inspiring force combined with the unlikely partner romanticism often leading the reader to the conclusion that Dickinson views the brutality of nature as something beautiful. Thus this poem objectivises her love of nature. The poem follows the blank verse form which eases the audience into flowing attire in which you’re able to develop vivid images of nature at an even pace, this being epitomised with the notable lack of caesuras. This is of course, unlike most of Dickinson’s other poems such as ‘my cocoon tightens’, which has a distinct structure accompanied with caesuras among other poetic techniques, would imply that the topic of nature is rather different for Dickinson than others. This could perhaps allow for more emotion to be cited from her metaphors and irony. Rather astutely, Dickinson creates an immediate aura of horror as she creates a vivid image of an “angleworm” being torn “in halves” by the bird. The birds primeval instinct of seek and destroy takes precedence over any other priority causing the bird to act mercilessly. This could be likened to the poem, ‘a narrow fellow in the grass’, as where the snake is also presented as a malevolent ideology.
A Bird came down the Walk—
He did not know I saw—
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass—
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass—
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around—
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought—
He stirred his Velvet Head
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home—
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam—
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.
Dickinson presents natural phenomena in the poem A bird came down the walk with an aura of awe inspiring force combined with the unlikely partner romanticism often leading the reader to the conclusion that Dickinson views the brutality of nature as something beautiful. Thus this poem objectivises her love of nature. The poem follows the blank verse form which eases the audience into flowing attire in which you’re able to develop vivid images of nature at an even pace, this being epitomised with the notable lack of caesuras. This is of course, unlike most of Dickinson’s other poems such as ‘my cocoon tightens’, which has a distinct structure accompanied with caesuras among other poetic techniques, would imply that the topic of nature is rather different for Dickinson than others. This could perhaps allow for more emotion to be cited from her metaphors and irony. Rather astutely, Dickinson creates an immediate aura of horror as she creates a vivid image of an “angleworm” being torn “in halves” by the bird. The birds primeval instinct of seek and destroy takes precedence over any other priority causing the bird to act mercilessly. This could be likened to the poem, ‘a narrow fellow in the grass’, as where the snake is also presented as a malevolent ideology.