William Cullen Bryant
EXTREME Romanticism- Hardcore nature fan, believer in total
freedom- Activist against slavery and injustice - Beyond poetry:
what do Romantic ideas say about LIFE, DEATH, GOD? - Romanticist
religion or philosophy of life: Transcendentalism
(go-beyond-ism)William Cullen Bryant
To a Waterfowl- 1821
When walking home one day, Bryant saw a waterfowl and realized
that the bird, while seeming alone, was actually being guided by
some higher being, as was he himself, and that they both would find
their way.
Finding religion in nature Nature is the visible face of God
Stanza OneWhere you are among the dew and the glowing skies in
the last hours of the day, far through the sunset, do you pursue
your own way?For selfish reasons, the hunters eye may catch youso
he can kill you! Your dark figure contrasts with the red sky as you
float along.Stanza Two
BYAAAAA!!
Stanza ThreeDo you seek a marshy, weedy lake or the edge of a
wide river, or where the waves rise and fall on the worn-away shore
of the ocean?There is a higher power (God) that teaches you the
way, even though it seems like you have no path. The desert and the
air are limitless, like you and me we are wandering alone, but we
are not lost.
Stanza Four
Stanza FiveAll day your wings work hard while you fly high in
the cold, thin airbut dont get tired and stop on the land even
though the dark night is near.Like the bird, people should not
yield to weariness. They should persist, sustained by faith in a
higher power, until they reach their goals.Soon your hard work will
end; you will find your summer home and rest, and talk with the
other birds; soon youll have a comfortable nest.Stanza Six
Stanza SevenAlthough the waterfowl has disappeared into the
unseeable depths of the skies, his lesson has sunk deep into the
speakers heart.The higher power who guides your flight through the
limitless zones of the sky will lead my steps on my long trip
home.Seven Eight
The main theme of the poem is that just as God guides the
waterfowl to its summer home, He too can guide your life until you
reach your final destination.What does this question about the
birds destination suggest to you about the poets state of mind?What
different effect is conveyed by the poems focus upon a solitary
bird (rather than one in a flock)? How does the introduction of the
hunter (a second human observer) help to establish the poets
sympathy with the bird?Why is it important that the poet should
imagine a restful homecoming for the bird before it disappears?How
do lines 25-26 anticipate the parallel between the birds flight and
the poets earthbound journey? What inner assurance has the poet
gained?What has provided this new assurance?
Questions for Study and DiscussionWhat does this question about
the birds destination suggest to you about the poets state of
mind?The poet is in a pensive, inquiring mood. He is trying to
understand the meaning of what he sees.What different effect is
conveyed by the poems focus upon a solitary bird (rather than one
in a flock)? The solitary bird is a picturesque image, and suggests
the individual traveler on his journey through life.How does the
introduction of the hunter (a second human observer) help to
establish the poets sympathy with the bird?The hunter wants to kill
the bird, but the poet wants to observe and understand it. This
contrast makes clear the poets sympathy with the bird.Questions for
Study and DiscussionWhy is it important that the poet should
imagine a restful homecoming for the bird before it disappears?The
image of the bird as a lonely, weary traveler helps the poet to
identify with the bird and imagine for the bird a homecoming such
as the poet would enjoy.How do lines 25-26 anticipate the parallel
between the birds flight and the poets earthbound journey?The birds
disappearance into the abyss of heaven may parallel the human souls
disappearance at the end of its journey.What inner assurance has
the poet gained?The poet is assured that the Power that guides the
bird to its end will also guide the poet through life to a final
peaceful rest.What has provided this new assurance?Observation of
the bird, whose tiring travels will end in a summer home, and
rest.Questions for Study and Discussion