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BIRD WATCHING, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

"Bird Watching" by John Ciardi delves into the marvels of nature and the human tendency to seek understanding and categorization, even amidst experiences that elude easy explanation. The poem captures a moment of everyday beauty—the simple act of feeding birds—and elevates it to a meditation on the nature of miracles, the transient, and the ineffable in our daily lives.

The speaker begins with a straightforward recounting of the types of birds attracted by the offered crumbs and sunflower seeds, listing them in a manner that reflects both familiarity and appreciation for the routine visits of these creatures. This list sets the stage for a moment of extraordinary encounter: the sudden appearance of a "tiny yellow warbler" or perhaps an "escaped canary," a creature so unexpected and striking that its presence momentarily transforms the mundane into the miraculous.

The uncertainty of the bird's exact identity—"was it an escaped canary? or simply the one impossible bright bird that is always there during a miracle, and then never?"—highlights the limitations of human knowledge and the inadequacy of labels when faced with moments of profound beauty or wonder. The speaker's attempt to thumb through a bird book to identify the visitor underscores our instinct to classify and understand the natural world, yet the poem suggests that some experiences defy such categorization and remain etched in memory as singular, unrepeatable events.

The poem then shifts to a broader philosophical reflection, questioning the very nature of what comes to us "at times." Ciardi proposes that the presence of a bird is mundane only until it departs, at which point it ascends to the status of a miracle—something extraordinary that briefly intersects with the ordinary. This transformation from the observed to the miraculous raises questions about the essence of miracles themselves: are they defined by their rarity, their beauty, or simply by their ability to evoke wonder?

The speaker asserts that there is no "book to look through for the identity of a miracle," suggesting that the most profound experiences lie beyond the reach of science or categorization. Every bird, by virtue of its fleeting presence and departure, becomes a symbol of the miraculous—each encounter unique, each departure leaving behind a trace of wonder.

The concluding lines of the poem, "Let there be bread and seed in time: all else will follow," serve as both a literal call to continue the act of feeding birds and a metaphorical invocation to remain open to the unexpected and the wondrous in life. By providing the simple necessities—bread and seed—we invite the possibility of encountering the miraculous, whether it comes in the form of a common sparrow or a once-in-a-lifetime vision of an "incredible bird."

"Bird Watching" thus becomes a contemplation on the intersection of the natural and the extraordinary, urging readers to find depth and meaning in the simple acts of observation and care. Ciardi's poem celebrates the capacity of the everyday to surprise and delight us, reminding us that miracles, however we may define them, are woven into the fabric of our daily existence, awaiting only our attention and presence to reveal themselves.


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