Summary Poem Analysis of 'A Bird came down the Walk' by Emily Dickinson
13 views 0 purchase
Course
Poetry
Institution
CIE
Here’s a full analysis of the poem ‘A Bird came down the Walk’ by Emily Dickinson, tailored towards A-Level students but also suitable for those studying at a higher level. Enjoy and feel free to leave feedback if you found it useful!
Includes:
POEM
VOCABULARY
STORY / SUMMARY
SPEAKER...
A Bird, came down the Walk -
He did not know I saw -
He bit an Angle Worm 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 abroad -
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.
, VOCABULARY
Angle Worm - another term for ‘earthworm’
Fellow - a person or being
Convenient - available or easy to access
Sidewise - aside, sideways
Hurried all abroad - looked all around in different directions
Plashless - fluidly, elegantly flowing, without splashing
STORY/SUMMARY
Stanza 1: A bird came down the walkway where I was standing, he didn’t know that
I was watching him - he bit an earthworm into two halves and ate the creature raw.
Stanza 2: And then, he drank a drop of dew that had settled nearby on a convenient
piece of grass, and then he hopped sideways onto a wall to let a beetle go past him.
Stanza 3: He looked around with quick eyes that darted all about - I thought that
they looked like frightened beads - he stirred his velvet head
Stanza 4: It was as if he thought he was in danger, cautious, I offered him a crumb of
bread, and he spread out his feathers and softly rowed himself home through the air
Stanza 5: His wings through the air were softer than oars that split through the
ocean, too silver to leave any trace of their movement through the air like a seam in
fabric, they were also softer than butterflies which leap off the banks of noon,
making no splash or ripple as they swim elegantly through the air.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller natashatabani. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $0.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
