Iain's+Analysis

//A Barred Owl by Richard Wilbur Explication by Iain Konigsberg

A Barred Owl, b y the American poet Richard Wilbur, is full of symbolism and themes despite its short length. One significant theme in poetry and literature that Wilbur touches on is that of “man vs. nature”. Wilbur shows a reverence for the awesome power and sublime disposition of nature. The poem starts with a threatening phrase, “The warping night air having brought the boom” (line 1). This line shows the dominance of nature, characterizing the air as “warping”, which instills the image as the air being strong enough to change whatever it touches. The first line also refers to “the boom”, invoking the image of thunder, a dangerous and frightening aspect of nature. Thunder is often seen as being sublime; many people watch thunderstorms in awe, while being frightened of their destructive capabilities.

The second line, “Of an owl’s voice into her darkened room,” furthers nature’s sublimity, characterizing nature as penetrating and unavoidable. The image of a “darkened room” invokes a creepy, mysterious feeling, while the owl represents nature. The combination of these two images establishes nature as being scary at times.

The rest of the first stanza shows humans trying to cope with nature’s eeriness by providing an explanation for it. People have been doing this for ages, telling myths explaining nature's aspects and actions. The parent of the frightened child in the story comforts her by saying the frightening noise

> Was an odd question from a forest bird, > Asking of us, if rightly listened to, > “Who cooks for you?” and then “Who cooks for you?” (lines 4-6)

Nature, while sometimes seen as terrifying, is also often seen as tranquil. The parent of the child calls upon the peaceful, almost playful aspect of nature to calm the child. The child’s perspective of the owl is changed, taking the scariness out of the situation. Wilbur illustrates the powers of perspective at the end of the first stanza.

The second stanza begins by emphasizing the previously introduced idea of perspective being able to completely alter a situation. When Wilbur asserts

> Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear, > Can also thus domesticate a fear, > And send a small child back to sleep at night (lines 7-9)

he presents the idea of man’s strength being in his ability to rationalize a situation and change his point of view. The image of man’s rational mind is in direct contrast to nature’s unpredictable patterns. These images oppose one another, tying into the theme of “man vs. nature”.

In the last part of the second stanza, Wilbur once again invokes the frightening aspect of nature. While the child is calmed and sleeping,

> Not listening to the sound of stealthy flight > Or dreaming of some small thing in a claw > Borne up to some dark branch and eaten raw. (lines 10-12)

the child is not acknowledging nature’s dangerousness. Wilbur shows that while man can choose not to view nature as scary and dangerous, that does not change the fact that nature is still dangerous. The images of “stealthy flight” and of a creature being “eaten raw” reinforce this idea and further enhance the terrifying quality of nature in this poem.

While the poem contains many other themes, it cannot be read without the reader at least partially noticing the theme of “man vs. nature” and seeing both the tranquil and terrifying qualities of nature. In ////A Barred Owl//, Wilbur clearly illustrates how nature’s eerie sublimity contrasts with rationalizing, analytical humans.

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