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.
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