The Bird

Vivacious bird as you fly free,

Do you know of the God that made thee?

What valiant being gave you wings,

To soar o’er and beyond so many things?

Allowed feathered frenzy through the air,

In flight like others wouldn’t dare?

Let you feel the warmth of spring light,

A reminder of the holy dove’s might?

As you build your nest in a lovely tree,

Do you feel thankful for your safety?

Are you grateful you can venture so high,

And at sight of danger, go to the sky?

From what melody did he draw thy song?

Did he instruct thee to play it at every dawn?

Were you made aware that thy chirping voice,

Could cause a hopeless heart such sweet rejoice?

And what of thy bright color and sheen,

Hues from the reddest rose to evergreen?

See them shining in reflection of the sun,

In the brilliant ways of the pretty and young?

With delightful lightness, do you see,

The many things that there will be

For your delicate self to explore?

The joy of being unbound from the floor.

Vivacious bird as you fly free,

Do you know of the God that made thee?

What valiant being gave you wings,

To soar o’er and beyond so many things?

My poem, “The Bird”, was inspired by the works of William Blake, particularly his poems addressed to animals. In these poems, such as “The Tyger” and “The Lamb”, he uses an apostrophe, speaking directly to the animals and asking them questions concerning their creation. Similarly, I address a bird in my poem, asking how much it knows about its own formation. In addition, my poem is a long string of questions, just as Blake’s poems are. Blake also made many religious references in his poems, referring to Jesus as a lamb and asking God to bless His creatures. I also use this concept in “The Bird”, citing God as the bird’s creator and calling Him the holy dove (a symbol of the Holy Spirit). My poem also followed many of the guidelines of Romanticism, such as: a strong sense of the beauty of the world around us, a love of nature, a vivid use of imagination, and a belief in liberty for the individual. I show a love for nature and respect for the surrounding world by using positive connotation in taking about the sky, light, early morning, and trees. Vivid imagination is showcased by the expressive ways I describe the bird’s life and appearance. Finally, there is a belief of individuality in my poem because I display envy over the bird’s ability to fly and go where it pleases, acting completely unique and free.