"The Writer" by Richard Wilbur

1. "The Writer" by Richard Wilbur Stefanie Clinton

2. TITLE • Considering Richard Wilbur is a writer, the poem could be about his experiences in the field. • The struggles of being a writer • Our world from the perspective of a writer

3. PARAPHRASE • The speaker’s daughter is in her room writing a story. The speaker listens intently as she vigorously types on the typewriter. He understands that though she is young, she experiences life’s struggles as well and wishes her the best of luck. His daughter pauses and the quiet consumes the house before she returns to clicking the typewriter-keys. The speaker remembers when a starling was trapped in the room and they had let it be. They watched as it helplessly fluttered around the room then collapsed to the floor, waiting for something else to happen. They felt relieved when it lifted and headed for the window to the open world. The speaker concludes that ultimately our universe revolves around life or death; now, he sincerely wishes his daughter the best of luck on her ventures.

4. CONNOTATION • The poem suggests that we must experience the world around us as long as we remember that it ultimately is a fight of life or death. • Diction: words associated with ships and travel convey the sense of a journey, more specifically, life’s journey • “The prow of the house,” “like a chain hauled over a gunwale,” “her life is a great cargo,” “I wish her a lucky passage,” “we.....retreated,” “beating a smooth course” • Imagery: images of a bird trapped in a room, then escaping emphasize how we confine ourselves to small spaces and will never be truly satisfied until we discover what else is out there • “Our spirits rose when.....it lifted off......beating a smooth course for the right window and clearing the sill of the world.”

5. CONNOTATION • Symbolism: the starling • The starling trapped in the room represents two things. • The daughter – The speaker discusses his daughter and then shifts to speaking about the starling. He is comparing the two, seeing as they are both “trapped” in the room and hopes for the both of them to venture on to more. • “I pause in the stairwell, hearing from [my daughter’s] shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys.....I wish her a lucky passage.” • “I remember the dazed starling which was trapped in that very room.....and how our spirits rose when, suddenly sure, it lifted off from a chair-back, beating a smooth course for the right window and clearing the sill of the world.” • Society – The bird waited for something to happen once defeated, but eventually fled. The author implies that when we are defeated, we often wait for something greater to occur, to fix us and to help us; however, we must take action and continue on our path to success.

6. ATTITUDE • The speaker is hopeful that his daughter will have good fortune as she takes on the world. • The author feels that we must allow ourselves to experience both the good and the bad of the world so we may advance in our ventures.

7. SHIFTS • The shift occurs when the speaker switches subjects. • Speaker’s daughter the starling • This shift is also accompanied by a shift in tone. He first is casually discussing his daughter and his hopes for her. Then he remembers the starling, and suddenly, becomes more passionate in his wishes for her.

8. TITLE • The title refers to the poet’s daughter. She is the main subject of this poem.

9. THEME • Life’s troubles • Confinement • Freedom • Hope • Once we accept that we will experience defeat but must overcome it, we will be able to experience the greater things that this world has to offer us.

10. RELATED SONG & PHOTOS • “Breakaway” – Kelly Clarkson • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKCGBv65w_M • Discusses the desire to break free from confinement and experience the greater unknown.