Imagery And Figurative Language In Richard Wilbur's The Writer

Richard Wilbur’s The Writer consists of eleven tercets, which portray the narrator’s feelings for his daughter. While the poem contains numerous examples of imagery and figurative language, two extended metaphors serve as the primary means of conveying the poem’s messages. For the initial stanzas, the narrator compares his household to a ship, using terms such “prow” and “gunwale” along with references to “cargo” and a “passage.” The image of a ship’s journey parallels the daughter’s personal journey through life. Likewise, the description of the dazed starling appears to be a metaphor for the narrator’s perspective of the daughter’s struggles as she grows and matures. These images enhanced by examples of similes, anaphora, and personification help the narrator demonstrate the narrator’s perception of his beloved daughter. …show more content…
I personally resonate with the daughter, so I could really apply this poem to my own experience. Although the dynamics of my life have begun to change, I was that same kid for many years. Just like that of the daughter’s, my room rests at the “prow” of my house, and from behind a “shut door” I pecked away at a keyboard throughout middle and the beginning of high school, creating a similar “commotion” but with the keys of a laptop. I always sensed that this sort of behavior slightly troubled my dad, and it honestly irritated me to a degree. However, I now realize that my father was not much different than the narrator; he just happened to struggle with concealing his ambition to act on his feelings. Thus, I regret my previous sentiments because of Wilbur’s illustration of a parent’s