A Bird came down the Walk Emily Dickinson A Bird, came down the Walk - He did not know I saw - He bit an Angle Worm in halves And ate the fellow, raw, And then, he drank a Dew From a convenient Grass - And then hopped sidewise to the Wall To let a Beetle pass - He glanced with rapid eyes, That hurried all abroad - They looked like frightened Beads, I thought, He stirred his Velvet Head. - Like one in danger, Cautious, I offered him a Crumb, And he unrolled his feathers, And rowed him softer Home - Than Oars divide the Ocean, Too silver for a seam, Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon, Leap, plashless as they swim. 1 / 2
VOCABULARY
Angle Worm- another term for ‘earthworm’ Fellow- a person or being Convenient- available or easy to access Sidewise- aside, sideways Hurried all abroad- looked all around in differentdirections Plashless- fluidly, elegantly flowing, without splashing
STORY/SUMMARY
Stanza1:AbirdcamedownthewalkwaywhereIwasstanding,hedidn’tknowthat
I was watching him - he bit an earthworm into twohalves and ate the creature raw.
Stanza2:Andthen,hedrankadropofdewthathadsettlednearbyonaconvenient
piece of grass, and then he hopped sideways onto awall to let a beetle go past him.
Stanza3:Helookedaroundwithquickeyesthatdartedallabout-Ithoughtthat
they looked like frightened beads - he stirred hisvelvet head
Stanza4:Itwasasifhethoughthewasindanger,cautious,Iofferedhimacrumbof
bread, and he spread out his feathers and softly rowedhimself home through the air
Stanza5:Hiswingsthroughtheairweresofterthanoarsthatsplitthroughthe
ocean,toosilvertoleaveanytraceoftheirmovementthroughtheairlikeaseamin fabric,theywerealsosofterthanbutterflieswhichleapoffthebanksofnoon, making no splash or ripple as they swim elegantlythrough the air.
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