a narrative poem by Richard Wilbur page 708 “The Writer” a narrative poem by Richard Wilbur page 708

Notes Who is the speaker in this poem? a parent (father) What is the speaker’s daughter doing as poem begins? Trying to write a story The story of the starling’s successful efforts to free itself can be interpreted as… The importance of continuing to try even after you fail… Speaker remembers the story of the trapped starling as he listens to his daughter type because… memory of the trapped bird relates to his daughter’s struggle to writing and her need to overcome them on her own

Inference made about the speaker’s message from the lines: In the lines: Young as she is, the stuff of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy: I wish her a lucky passage. What is the life of the speaker’s daughter compared to? A trip or journey on a boat/ship her “stuff” what she is working through as a young writer the things that are important to her as an adolescent = “cargo” baggage To whom does the speaker directly address at the end of the poem when he says, “I wish/What I wished you before, but harder?” What does he wish? His daughter For her to have a “safe passage” but “harder”– if her life is too easy then she will not be strong enough Inference made about the speaker’s message from the lines: It is always a matter, my darling, Of life or death, as I had forgotten. The speaker has forgotten that when you’re young even the smallest of troubles can feel so big…