Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"In the Garden (1)" is a poem by Emily Dickinson, an American poet who lived from 1830 to 1886. The poem was first published posthumously in 1891.

The poem describes a bird that comes down a walk and is observed by the speaker. The bird bites an angle-worm in halves and eats it raw, suggesting the raw and natural beauty of nature. The bird then drinks dew from the grass and hops to the wall to let a beetle pass, suggesting the interconnectedness of different parts of nature.

The poem also describes the bird's rapid and frightened eyes, emphasizing the bird's sense of danger and vulnerability. The speaker offers the bird a crumb, and the bird unrolls its feathers and flies away softly, suggesting a sense of grace and beauty.

The final stanza compares the bird's flight to the movement of oars dividing the ocean or butterflies swimming off banks of noon, emphasizing the beauty and grace of nature. The poem suggests a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world, as well as a respect for the independence and freedom of animals such as the bird.

Overall, the poem celebrates the beauty and wonder of the natural world, emphasizing the raw and natural beauty of nature and the interconnectedness of different parts of the natural world. The poem also suggests a sense of respect and appreciation for the independence and freedom of animals such as the bird.

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