A fully equipped and detailed explanation of A Minor Bird commentary which is part of Junior High School students’ curriculum of study in the English Language. Simplified to the smallest unit.
Poem – A Minor Bird
I have wished a bird would fly away,
And not sing by my house all day;
Have clapped my hands at him from the door
When it seemed as if I could bear no more.
The fault must partly have been in me.
The bird was not to blame for his key.
And of course there must be something wrong
In wanting to silence any song.
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A Minor Bird Commentary
Writer: Robert Frost
The Title
Minor as used in this poem pertains to something of lesser seriousness or importance.
The Speaker/tone
The speaker is an anxious individual who comes one on one with his/her own shortfalls. The tone is one of apprehension and sober reflection.
Structure of A Minor Bird
A Minor Bird is a 4 stanza poem. In the 1st stanza, the speaker wishes that the bird will fly away on its own. In the 2nd stanza, the speaker comes to be angry and impatient and swatted at it.
Then in the 3rd stanza when his efforts prove ineffective, he now begins to comprehend that it’s the bird’s nature to sing. He starts to realise he is partially to blame.
In the 4th and last stanza, the speaker understands that it’s unfair to try to silence the song of the bird, or any song at all.
Meaning of A Minor Bird Poem
A Minor Bird is a 4 stanza poem. Every stanza consists of 2 lines that rhyme contrarily to the other stanzas. The poem is about the intolerance of nature, disdain for others and suppression of the vulnerable by the mightier. The speaker exhibits a total indifference for the bird which he sees to be ‘minor’ it less important.
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Imagery And Diction
The choice of words is easy and manageable to comprehend. The images appeal to our sense of sight and hearing.
Themes
- Learning to accept and appreciate nature.
- We must first assess ourselves before blaming others.
- We must be tolerant and avoid being bias.
Literary Devices In A Minor Bird
Below are some examples of literary devices in A Minor Bird
Alliteration
- …wished…would…
- …hands…him
- …bird…blame…
- …silence…song
Personification
- Have clapped my hands at him
- The bird was not to blame for his key
Onomatopoeia
- Clapped…
Rhyme
- The two lines in each stanza rhyme. The rhyme scheme is AA, BB, CC, DD.
Pun
- The use of ‘minor’ rhymes with ‘mynah’. They are uttered in the way but mean differently.
Poet Nazir is a writer and an editor here on ThePoetsHub. Outside this space, he works as a poet, screenwriter, author, relationship adviser and a reader. He is also the founder & lead director of PNSP Studios, a film production firm.
