Richard Wilbur

In “Juggler” by Richard Wilbur, the speaker and the audience witness the gravity-defying performance of the Juggler. When juggling, the Juggler changes the dull atmosphere to a lively one through his momentary triumph against gravity. The speaker observes that although the performance showed temporary victory against gravity, the Juggler made ordinary objects seem special and entertained the audience by inspiring them. The speaker describes the Juggler’s abilities using images of divine power and the change in the audience’s attitude. In the beginning of the poem, everything seems to be falling and losing momentum. The ball bounces but “less and less” and the “earth falls”. The falling image is accompanied by a disappointed tone because the…

The Juggler is a poem written by Richard Wilbur in 1949. While illustrating an animated juggler and his talents, Richard Wilbur uses imagery and figurative language to reveal that the speaker thoroughly enjoys the juggler’s act. This piece expresses the juggler’s performance through descriptive imagery and conveys that the speaker takes pleasure in what the juggler does. For example, “it takes a sky-blue juggler with five red balls to shake our gravity up”(5-10). The author depicts the juggler…

The sounds of his daughters writing reminds the father of the same ambition he had when he was younger. Richard Wilbur was born in New York City on March 1, 1921, Richard Wilbur studied at Amherst College before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He later attended Harvard University. His first book of poems, The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems (Reynal & Hitchcock) was published in 1947. He also wrote "Things of This World" (Harcourt, Brace & World, 1956), for which he received the…

In the poem “The Writer” written by Richard Wilbur about his daughter writing has many figurative language devices. At first glance, the reader gets swept up in “The Writer” and does not realize the devices being used, however, a further analyzation of the poem lets the reader see that simile, metaphor, personification and others. The first figurative device Mr. Wilbur explores in his poem is a metaphor. He does this in the very first line when he compares his daughters room in the house to…

Richard Wilbur in “The Writer” uses figurative language, poem form, tone, and imagery to develop the theme of a father wishing his daughter a hopeful journey through life. The speaker of my poem is Richard Wilbur listening to his daughter type on typewriter. Hearing this reminds him of when he found a starling in her room that couldn’t get out, but after many failed attempts it finally escaped. This back flash makes him think of what his daughter will have to have to go through during her life…

Richard Wilbur’s poem “Beowulf” is his translation of the Old English poem also called “Beowulf”. The time frame the original “Beowulf” was written is between the mid seventh century and the late tenth century. The poem tells a story of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves a kingdom from a monster named Grendal, who attacks the castle each night. In Richard Wilbur’s translation he describes Beowulf of the old English poem from a mid-twentieth century point of view. Although both authors…

In Richard Wilbur poem, “The Juggler,” a juggler’s profession is not just to entertain others, but to serve as a way of escapism for many. Vivid imagery and various examples of figurative language are used to describe the juggler as someone who is capable of bending reality, while also revealing the speaker’s belief that simple, trivial tasks can be a liberating break from their mundane lives. To begin, the speaker describes and exaggerates the effect the juggling has on the audience by saying…

In his poem, “Juggler,” Richard Wilbur describes a juggling performance in which his speaker is attending. The speaker, like the rest of the audience, is captivated by the performer’s raw talent. In order to provide his readers their own seat at the performance and to convey an accurate description of the juggler, Wilbur relies on an array of poetic devices which, in turn, help reveal the speaker’s internal conflict. Wilbur uses imagery, personification, tone, and diction to disclose to readers…

The Frozen Outcast When we look at life situations from our one and only perspective, we don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. It is impossible for us to view things from the point of view of anyone other than ourselves. Within the poem “Boy at the Window,” Richard Wilbur gives life to this expression, while showing us two poems in one. Wilbur uses point-of-view, along with personification, irony, and imagery, to make “Boy at the Window” the poem it is. This poem shows the…

In the test “Juggler” by Richard Wilbur, he describes this individual as a god of the juggling trade. He makes the performance into a process where he carefully grooms the details and puts them on paper in a way that seems more ambiguous than it actually is. This technique implies that the author has great and perpetual admiration for The Juggler and his profession. Throughout the poem, Wilbur portrays the juggler and his ability as godlike rather than average. The lifeless and very foggy tone…