Does anyone know the meaning of Emily Dickinson's poem "A Bird Came down the Walk"?

Answer 1

Ah, Emily Dickinson. One of my favorites! I'm not going to tell you, exactly, but I will give you a hint. Dickinson's poems were mostly about her religious beliefs and her relationships with friends/ family. She lived in her own little world.

Answer 2

Well, I don't really think there's really any deep meaning in this poem. She's simply describing her observations as a cautious bird goes about what birds go about. Notice when she tries to offer the bird a free crumb how the bird becomes somewhat leary of the encounter and takesoff.

Haven't we all at one time or another tried to approach a bird in a friendly gesture only to cross that inborn threshold of safety or boundary where the bird seems to be sayin, "O.K., that's enough, don't get any closer," and either runs away or flies off?

I think the last stanza that begins: "Than oars divide the ocean," is all about the bird taking off to heaven knows where and comparing this to oars splitting the silvery seam of the ocean or a butterfly in flight. Plash is just another word for splash, hence plashless would mean without a splash.

Perhaps, if you must look for something deep about this poem, maybe it would lie in Dickinson's desire to be free and without a care in the world like this bird.

Answer 3

Do your own homework.