Emily Dickinson’s poem “A Bird Came Down the Walk” makes extensive use of metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things. Metaphors allow poets to make connections between different realms of experience and highlight similarities between seemingly disparate things. In “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” Dickinson uses metaphor to compare the movements and actions of a bird to human behaviors and traits. The metaphors in this poem give vivid life to the bird while revealing Dickinson’s close observation of the natural world.
Overview of the Poem
“A Bird Came Down the Walk” describes the poet’s encounter with a bird that alights nearby and begins investigating its surroundings. The poem follows the bird as it hops, looks around, eats a worm, drinks from a puddle, gets scared, debates where to go next, and finally flies away. Each action is described through metaphor.
Here is the full text of the poem:
A Bird Came Down the Walk –
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 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.
Metaphors Describing the Bird’s Actions
Dickinson uses metaphor throughout the poem to vividly render the bird’s movements and behaviors. Here are some key examples:
Hopping Sidewise
The bird hops “sidewise to the Wall” to allow a beetle to pass by. The sideways hopping motion is captured in the phrase “hopped sidewise.”
Stirring its Head
The bird turns its head alertly from side to side to look around. Dickinson describes this as “He stirred his Velvet Head” – a metaphor comparing the bird ruffling its feathers to someone stirring a velvet cloth.
Unrolling its Feathers
When offered a crumb by the poet, the bird unfurls its wings slightly. Dickinson depicts this as “he unrolled his feathers” – a metaphor presenting the opening wings as something unrolled.
Rowing Home
After eating the crumb, the bird flies off with gentle flaps of its wings. The poet describes this as “rowed him softer Home” – a metaphor comparing the flapping motions to someone rowing a boat.
Metaphors Highlighting Specific Qualities
In addition to metaphors for physical movement, Dickinson also uses metaphor to emphasize specific qualities of the bird:
Frightened Beads
When the bird turns its head alertly, its eyes seem to stand out. Dickinson depicts the eyes as “frightened Beads” – a metaphor comparing the shining eyes to frightened beads. This implies the bird’s nervousness.
Velvet Head
The bird’s feathers are depicted as “Velvet Head” – a metaphor evoking the soft, smooth texture of velvet. This captures the plush feel of the plumage.
Oars Divide the Ocean
The gentle flaps of the bird’s wings as it flies away are compared to “Oars divide the Ocean” – a metaphor conveying the smooth, fluid motion.
Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
In another simile, the poet compares the bird’s easy flight to butterflies lazily leaping at midday. This creates a sense of effortless grace.
Extended Worm Metaphor
One of the main metaphors extends throughout the poem. When the bird “bit an Angleworm in halves” and “ate the fellow, raw,” Dickinson is ascribing very human actions to the bird – the idea of biting something in half and eating someone raw personifies the bird as almost savage. The worm then reappears later when the poet offers a “Crumb” to the bird – implicitly evoking the earlier worm. So the worm becomes a metaphor for the uneasy relationship between man and nature.
Metaphors Highlighting the Bird’s Agency
Many of the metaphors portray the bird as having human motivation and agency:
He did not know I saw
The opening line presents the bird as unaware of being observed, suggesting a conscious, human perspective.
Glanced with rapid eyes
The bird’s act of looking around is depicted as a purposeful glance, showing awareness.
Like one in danger, Cautious
These similes present the bird as feeling fear and caution like a human would.
Debating where to go next
Though not explicit in the poem, the metaphors give the sense that the bird is considering its options like a person would.
So the combined effect of the metaphors is to present the bird as a conscious being with complex thoughts and motivations.
Metaphors Comparing Bird and Human Realms
Many of the metaphors place the bird in human scenarios or compare it to human experiences:
Ate the fellow, raw
Eating the worm “raw” implies cooking and culinary preparation, associating the bird’s act of eating with human dining.
Drank a Dew
Drinking “dew” from the grass evokes ideas of human refreshment and thirst-quenching.
Offered him a Crumb
The poet offers the bird a “crumb” as a friendly human gesture. The bird accepts as a human would.
Rowed him softer Home
The metaphor of “rowing home” places the bird in a human scenario – the journey back after a long day out.
So the metaphors consistently highlight the common ground between the bird’s world and human experience. This allows insight into bird behavior through the lens of human actions.
Metaphors Communicating the Speaker’s Response
The metaphors also convey the poet’s emotional and imaginative response to observing the bird:
Frightened Beads
The simile “frightened Beads” expresses the speaker’s impression of the bird’s nervous state.
He stirred his Velvet Head
The “Velvet Head” metaphor captures the speaker’s sense of the soft feather texture.
Oars divide the Ocean
This poetic metaphor reveals the speaker’s admiration for the bird’s graceful flight.
So the metaphors transmit both literal details as well as the poet’s subjective impressions. This adds a layer of insight into the speaker’s emotions and reaction.
Conclusion
In “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” Emily Dickinson employs metaphor extensively to bring the bird vividly to life. Metaphors comparing the bird’s movements to human actions, traits, and scenarios allow the bird to take on personified qualities. At the same time, the metaphors provide insight into the poet’s perceptive observations of nature. Dickinson’s skillful use of metaphor allows the bird to embody human meanings while retaining its essential identity as a bird. The metaphors serve to bridge the gap between the human and natural realms while honoring the distinction between them. This poetic technique demonstrates Emily Dickinson’s unmatched originality and creativity in the use of figurative language.
