American Literature II

I chose to write about Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Stevens. The format is what stood out to me the most. There are 13 different interpretations of what a blackbird could be, represented by 13 short poems. All of these combine to make one poem. The blackbird is an ever present thing. It exists in all environments and in all forms. Sometimes the blackbird is an all seeing eye, sometimes it is an omen, sometimes it is part of you, and other times it is just a blackbird. My favorite was the 6th way to look at a blackbird stating ” The shadow of the blackbird crossed it, to and fro, The mood traced in the shadow an indecipherable cause.” This goes into Stevens belief that there is no meaning, and if there was he is blind to it. Overall I think this poem shows that there are many ways to look at one thing, wether it be an object or even an event. Everyone experiences something in their own way.13 people can look at a blackbird and see 13 different things and one person can see a blackbird in 13 different ways.