The poem “The Hummingbird” by Canadian poet P.K. Page explores themes of stillness, movement, and the contrasts between being active and at rest. This short lyric poem uses vivid imagery and metaphors to reflect on the symbolic meaning behind the hummingbird’s incessant motion and energy. Through an analysis of the poem’s language, structure, imagery and poetic devices, we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning.
Summary of the Poem
The poem consists of two stanzas, each with four lines. In the first stanza, the speaker observes a hummingbird “troubling the air” with its rapid wings and suspended feeding. The hummingbird’s wings are described as “twin emeralds” that are in constant motion, allowing it to remain suspended in one place. In the second stanza, the speaker longs for “a chair of steel” where they could imitate the motionless hovering of the hummingbird. The speaker wishes to find stillness rather than being caught up in the hectic motion of life.
Analysis of Poetic Devices
The poem makes skillful use of the following poetic devices:
- Metaphor – The hummingbird’s wings are compared to “twin emeralds,” emphasizing their green iridescence and value. This evokes a vivid image in the reader’s mind.
- Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds in the phrases “troubling the air” and “still steel” create a musical effect.
- Imagery – Visual descriptions like “twin emeralds winking” allows the reader to vividly picture the hummingbird.
- Rhyme – The rhyme scheme is ABCB, with repeating end rhymes in the second and fourth lines of each stanza.
- Enjambment – The continuation of a sentence over multiple lines, seen in lines 1-2 and 3-4, creates a forward momentum.
The combination of these poetic devices adds to the lyrical nature of the poem and highlights the contrasts being presented between motion and stillness.
Analysis of Tone and Mood
The tone of the speaker is thoughtful and observant. There is a sense of awe in how the speaker attentively watches the hummingbird’s energetic movement. The mood is contemplative as the speaker reflects on the desire to achieve stillness amidst the activity of life. There is a feeling of longing as the speaker wishes for an imitation of the hummingbird’s suspended immobility. Overall, the tone and mood add to the reflective nature of this short poem.
Analysis of Theme
Some of the prominent themes that can be inferred from this poem are:
Motion vs Stillness
The hummingbird’s constant motion is juxtaposed with the speaker’s desire for stillness and immobility. The hummingbird’s wings are continually engaged in the act of flying, just as the bird is active and energetic in seeking nectar. In contrast, the speaker envies the hummingbird’s ability to remain suspended and wishes to imitate this stabilized stillness by sitting motionless on a steel chair.
Rest vs Activity
Related to the theme of motion and stillness is the contrast between rest and activity. Whereas the hummingbird represents action, energy and rapid movement, the speaker longs for inactivity, tranquility and rest. The poem sets up an opposition between the motion of life versus the appeal of being at rest.
Freneticism vs Peace
The hummingbird’s wings moving at a frenzied pace signify a sense of freneticism and energetic busyness. The speaker’s desire for stable stillness evokes a sense of peacefulness. The poem utilizes the hummingbird as a symbol of an incessant, frenzied pace that the speaker wishes to counteract by finding inner calm.
Mortality
The fragility of the hummingbird, with its rapidly beating wings keeping it alive, subtly evokes the theme of mortality. The precariousness of the hummingbird’s suspended animation may reflect on the finite nature of life. The speaker’s wish to freeze time by remaining motionless could reflect a desire to suspend the progression of life’s fragility.
Analysis of Symbolism
Some of the key symbols used in this poem are:
- The hummingbird symbolizes energetic motion, activity, and a frenzied pace.
- The hummingbird’s wings specifically represent incessant movement.
- The steel chair symbolizes stillness, stability and a desire for rest amidst activity.
- The act of hovering symbolizes suspended animation and immobilization.
These concrete symbols and actions are elevated to represent larger concepts related to motion vs. stillness, activity vs. tranquility, and life’s progression vs. the desire for stability.
Analysis of Language and Imagery
Some notable poetic devices related to language and imagery include:
- Imagery – The visual description of the “twin emeralds winking” creates a vivid image of the hummingbird’s wings.
- Metaphor – The comparison of the wings to “twin emeralds” implies worth and value.
- Alliteration – Repetition of “t” sounds in “troubling the air” as well as “s” sounds in “steel still” create musicality.
- Rhyme – The rhyme scheme unifies the stanzas, with end rhymes in lines 2 and 4.
- Consonance – Repetition of consonant sounds in “where I’d gladly, too gladly, recline” adds to the musical effect.
Overall, the poem’s reliance on poetic devices related to sound and imagery add to its lyrical and symbolic impact.
Analysis of Structure
Some important elements related to structure include:
- Two stanzas with four lines each creates a symmetrical, balanced shape.
- The rhyme scheme of ABCB has an interlocking effect, linking the stanzas.
- Enjambment propels the verse forward without pausing at the end of each line.
- The two stanzas present a situation followed by a response, providing a kind of call and answer structure.
The concise structure distills the poem’s themes into succinct snapshots, while linking the stanzas together through rhyme and enjambment.
Conclusion
P.K. Page’s short lyric poem utilizes the hummingbird as a vivid symbol to explore themes related to motion vs stillness and activity vs tranquility. The speaker closely observes the hummingbird’s frenzied movements before expressing a desire to suspend time by imitating the motionless hovering of the bird. Rich imagery, metaphors, alliteration, rhyme and enjambment add to the poem’s lyrical quality. The succinct two stanza structure effectively contrasts the hummingbird’s energy against the wish for stabilizing stillness. Overall, “The Hummingbird” uses a precisely drawn nature image and the juxtaposition between motion and stillness to reflect on themes of action versus rest.
| Poetic Device | Effect |
|---|---|
| Imagery | Vividly depicts the hummingbird |
| Metaphor | Compares wings to emeralds |
| Alliteration | Creates musicality through repetition of sounds |
| Rhyme | Unifies stanzas through end rhymes |
| Enjambment | Drives verse forward |
| Theme | Evidence from Poem |
|---|---|
| Motion vs Stillness | Hummingbird’s constant motion contrasted with desire for stillness |
| Rest vs Activity | Hummingbird represents activity, speaker wants tranquility |
| Freneticism vs Peace | Hummingbird evokes frenzied pace, speaker wants calm |
| Mortality | Fragility of hummingbird’s sustained movement evokes finite nature of life |
Critical Analysis
P.K. Page’s “The Hummingbird” uses the hummingbird as an extended metaphor to reflect philosophically on contrasts embedded in the natural world that parallel human experiences. The hummingbird’s energetic industry is likened to the frenetic pace of modern life, while the desire for steel-like stillness represents the appeal of tranquility in the face of life’s relentless motion. However, the poem remains open to multiple interpretations. The Stillness evoked could represent death rather than simply tranquility. And the hummingbird could symbolize vitality to be embraced rather than freneticism to flee from. Much is left unsaid in the sparse lines, inviting the reader to fill in meaning. The compactness of Page’s verse requires an economy of language in which every word carries symbolic weight. The poem leaves a final impression of the precious fragility of life, embodied in the hummingbird’s suspended animation on rapidly beating wings.
