Dickinson, Emily. "A bird came down the walk".

Summary and Analysis

The speaker contemplates a bird which is unconscious of her observing him. A series of vivid images of the hopping bird is developed, he is being observed by eating a worm, drinking, and stepping aside "to let a beetle pass". The image of the bird and the beetle creates an association of the harmony which is characteristic of the natural world, and also of the regard which the bird shows towards the fellow being: he hops aside to enable the beetle to follow his way.

The image concerned with the bird's eyes shows already some quality of their restlessness, but the image of the speaker's offering a crumb to the bird completely corrupts the calm and pleasant tone. The bird does not takes the crumb, he is probably frightened, and the atmosphere of melancholy and sadness is established. The harmony of the nature has been invaded by a human being and by a man-produced crumb. The bird leaves for home. The concluding image shows the ocean which is too silver to be divided by oars: this is only another example of the harmony of nature being corrupted by man-made devices.