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THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT A BLACKBIRD, by             Poem Explanation     Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Among twenty snowy mountains
Last Line: In the cedar-limbs.
Subject(s): Birds; Blackbirds; Perception


I
I
Among twenty snowy mountains,
Among twenty snowy mountains
The only moving thing
The only moving thing
Was the eye of the blackbird.
Was the eye of the blackbird.

II
II
I was of three minds
I was of three minds,
Like a tree
Like a tree
In which there are three blackbirds.
In which there are three blackbirds.
III

The blackbird whirled in the autumn wind
III
It was a small part of the pantomime.
The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds.
IV
It was a small part of the pantomime.
A man and a woman

Are one.
IV
A man and a woman and a blackbird
A man and a woman
Are one.
Are one.
V
A man and a woman and a blackbird
I do not know which to prefer--
Are one.
The beauty of inflexions

Or the beauty of innuendos,
V
The blackbird whistling
I do not know which to prefer,
Or just after.
The beauty of inflections
VI
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
Icicles filled the window
The blackbird whistling
With barbaric glass.
Or just after.
The shadow of the blackbird

Crossed it, to and fro.
VI
The mood
Icicles filled the long window
Traced in the shadow
With barbaric glass.
An indecipherable cause.
The shadow of the blackbird
VII
Crossed it, to and fro.
O thin men of Haddam,
The mood
Why do you imagine golden birds?
Traced in the shadow
Do you not see how the blackbird
An indecipherable cause.
Walks around the feet

Of the women about you?
VII
VIII
O thin men of Haddam,
I know noble accents
Why do you imagine golden birds?
And lucid, inescapable rhythms;
Do you not see how the blackbird
But I know, too,
Walks around the feet
That the blackbird is involved
Of the women about you?
In what I know.

IX
VIII
When the blackbird flew out of sight,
I know noble accents
It marked the edge
And lucid, inescapable rhythms;
Of one of many circles.
But I know, too,
X
That the blackbird is involved
At the sight of blackbirds
In what I know.
Flying in a green light

Even the bawds of euphony
IX
Would cry out sharply.
When the blackbird flew out of sight,
XI
It marked the edge
He rode over Connecticut
Of one of many circles.
In a glass coach.

Once, a fear pierced him,
X
In that he mistook
At the sight of blackbirds
The shadow of his equipage
Flying in a green light,
for blackbirds.
Even the bawds of euphony
XII
Would cry out sharply.
The river is moving.

The blackbird must be flying.
XI
XIII
He rode over Connecticut
It was evening all afternoon.
In a glass coach.
It was snowing
Once, a fear pierced him,
And it was going to snow.
In that he mistook
The blackbird sat
The shadow of his equipage
In the cedar-limbs.
For blackbirds.


XII
The river is moving.
The blackbird must be flying.

XIII
It was evening all afternoon.
It was snowing
And it was going to snow.
The blackbird sat
In the cedar-limbs.






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