Notes

The title clearly states who one of the main characters of the poem is. The title does not reveal any plot or pose any discernible poetic significance. No unusual words No discernible allusions to historical things Written in iambic pentameter with rhyming couplets An owl’s scary hoots are heard in the night. The child is told by her parent that the owl saying, “Who cooks for you?” Sounds can calm us as well as frighten us. This new interpretation of the owl allows the child to go back to sleep, not fearing a scary predator. The first stanza shows the owl as an innocent tame animal. The second stanza shows the owl as a fearsome predator. This sort of duality is also seen in the mention of cooking in the first stanza as compared to the mention of a raw animal in the second stanza. There is the imagery of the owl eating a dead animal raw on a broken branch. There is personification in that the animal is portrayed as talking. The tone could be described as solemn, but not overly so. It is rather informal. It flows and seems conversational, as it could be a parent relating a story of their child. Points to touch on: The point of view in which a situation is viewed can completely change the supposed nature of it and can soften the perceived instability and scariness of nature. In //A Barred Owl// by Richard Wilbur, the changing point of view of the child shows that a shift in perspective can turn a fearsome predator into a friendly domestic animal.
 * Man vs nature
 * Duality
 * Point of view affecting situation