Summary of A Minor Bird?

Question

Can anybody give me the - (i) Critical Appreciation and summary (i) Individual Response (personal opinion about the poems) of A Minor Bird by Robert Frost

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

AnonymousCan anybody give me

We do not do your work for you. If you make an effort to do it yourself, we will check your grammar.

Anonymous · Answer

The first thing that is noticed about the poem is its length, just 8 short lines, short for a Frost poem. Brevity like this in a poem is often an indication that it is not a serious work, just something the poet dashed off on the spur of the moment - a bird was bothering him and, like a poet, he wrote a poem about it, a trivial exercise - and then preserved because it had some merit. But there is another way of looking at it, that the very briefness of it indicates profound meaning, rather then triviality, a deep, and hidden, message offered up by the poet to those who would make the effort to look beyond the seeming triviality and delve into the heart of what's being said.

There seem to be hints along these lines in the poem, things that say: "Dig deeply and you shall find." For example, in line 1, the words "bird" and "fly away." These words have strong imagery in English, often suggesting freedom and escape.

In line 2 the words "sing" and "house." The word "sing" is never used idly by a poet, as he himself sings in his verse. And there are few words in English more significant than "house," often symbolizing stability and belonging.

In line 3 the words "clapped my hands" and "door." Clapping of the hands is a powerful image in English, suggesting something important or an acclamation - a poet would not often use such a powerful image in something of no consequence. "Door" is another strong image in English, often suggesting change or escape - again, this is not something a poet would waste on nonsense verse.

In line 4 the words "I could bear no more." This gives the reader pause. If an ordinary person says this, a bird is annoying him. But when a poet says this, it suggests something more than a bird is bothersome.

Line 5, "fault." A strong word. Is there some significance to it here?

Line 6, "key." A key word. Is this the key to the mystery?

Line 7, "And of course there must be something wrong." What is wrong, poet?

Line 8, "in wanting to silence any song." Two strong words "silence" and "song," again. And "wanting to silence any song." Now that is the question here. Why would a poet, who "sings" for a living, want to silence any song?

Summary of A Minor Bird?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions