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Great Scarf of Birds Essay

Decent Essays

The Great Scarf of Birds Poetry is structured in several different ways. Much of the author’s way of writing converges the reader into knowing how to interpret the writing. John Updike is on an artificial man-made field (the golf field), and this foreshadows his eventual realization of his detachment from nature. He is playing at Cape Ann in October, and analyzes the nature around him. At the end of the poem, he states that after viewing this unforgettable imagery, his heart had been lifted. He talks of how the nature upon further analyzing, has become less marvelous, and the speaker’s concluding response is highlighted by the poem’s strong use of remarkable organization, insightful diction, exhilarating figurative …show more content…

Once his heart is lifted, he sees the true beauty of nature and it’s true meaning. Diction affects the tone of the passage. Starting from line 14, the diction evolves into a more negative view. He uses biblical reference towards the beginning of the stanza. He begins to analyze his surroundings more rigorously, and sees the differences in how they look from a distance, to how they appear close by. Once this negative connotation has begun, the flock is said to be “paled, pulsed, compressed, distended, yet held an identity firm” (Lines 20-21). The author’s choice of words as in “less marvelous” (line 25) indicates his intention for making his lines definite, giving it a solid state of meaning. It symbolizes that the feeling of someone longing for something, and once they receive it are not as impressed by it. The diction plays a critical role when the tone of the qualities of nature are exposed. The author conveys the “trumpeting” of the geese as an exaltation to the beauty and simplicity of nature. “A cloud appeared, a cloud of dots like iron filings which a magnet underneath the paper undulates” (Lines 16-18). The iron filings in this phrase symbolize the issues the man faces. Once he looks closely at the flock, he realizes that these issues are only miniscule and do not add up to life in general. This elates him, thus concluding him to lift his heart. The figurative language throughout this

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