A Bird, came down the Walk

“The Eagle” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1851)

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is one of the most important poets of the Victorian period. His precise meter and perfect rhymes form a sharp contrast to his contemporary American poets, who were often exploring free verse. Tennyson’s depiction in “The Eagle” of a strong bird displaying its power contrasts well with Dickinson’s bird, who engages with the world more casually and even timidly.

“Pigeons” by James Henry (1866)

James Henry’s “Pigeons” shares many of the same impulses as Dickinson’s “A Bird, came down the Walk” in observing a bird’s behavior. While Dickinson’s speaker and the bird share a moment of companionship, Henry’s pigeon faces a harsher ending when it feels “at its throat the knife” (Line 9) slaughtering it for pigeon pie.

“Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson (1891)

“Hope is the thing with feathers” describes the abstract human emotion of hope as having bird-like qualities, something that “perches in the soul” and “sings” to give someone courage. The poem is a good example of how Dickinson often draws upon natural imagery to explore human psychology and emotional states.

“Sunday Morning” by Wallace Stevens (1915)