A Bird came down the Walk
By: Emily Dickinson
A Bird came down the Walk—
He did not know I saw—
He bit an Angleworm 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 around—
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. |
Can you imagine what the bird's eyes look like? Or how a drop of dew tastes? (You can imagine what half a worm tastes like too, if you want.)
Test Yourself
What words from Dickinson's poem help evoke the senses?
raw, rapid, velvet, silver, plashless
