Elizabeth Bishop has attempted to capture the movement of a bird called the Sandpiper in her poem of the same name. We will analyse how successful she is in doing this, and also look at other visions of the world offered by the poet.
The poem is set at the edge of the seashore where the Sandpiper lives:
'The roaring alongside he takes for granted
and that every so often the world is bound to shake.'
She refers to the roar of the sea as the waves break on the shore, and that for such a delicate bird, this feels like an earthquake every time. Notice how the first line runs onto the second line without any punctuation. It seems as if the lines are running out of control, just as the world might seem to be a dangerous place to the bird.
Yet, there is a sense of steadiness and balance in the rhythm of the lines. This is a crucial element in a poem. The rhythm and feel of the lines convey the mood of the bird. Whatever the apparent chaos around it, it is calm and in control.