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Birdsong

In the poem’s opening quatrain, the speaker introduces a metaphorical bird that sings a song. This song, which the speaker describes as “the tune without the words” (line 3), is a symbol of living hope that doesn’t easily diminish. Indeed, as the speaker insists, this is a song that “never stops at all” (line 4). No matter how adverse the conditions might get, the bird continues to sing its wordless tune, offering a perennial reminder that hope remains alive. Significantly, it isn’t just that the metaphorical bird of hope never ceases to sing. It’s equally important that the speaker can always hear the hope-bird’s song. Even when life gets stormy, the wordless tune of hope has the power to cut through gale-force winds and make itself heard. Similarly, even when the speaker has found themself in far-off places, alone “in the chillest land / And on the strangest sea” (lines 9–10), the hope-bird’s song stays with the speaker. More than just a symbol of hope, then, the song represents hope’s undying power.

Gale

In the second quatrain, the speaker references a type of storm known as a “gale” (line 5). The term gale refers to storms characterized by high winds and hammering rain. Gales typically happen at sea, though they can also sweep onto land and cause great destruction. When the speaker mentions a gale, it is, in part, to emphasize the stormy conditions. However, more important is the claim that, even in such a violent storm, the bird of hope continues to sing its song. And miraculously, this song can still be heard over the loud, gale-force winds. With this in mind, the gale may be understood as a symbol for any form of adversity that a person might face in life. Yet no matter how adverse conditions might get, hope remains alive and well. As the speaker goes on to point out, it would take an event of even greater force to cause hope to fade: “And sore must be the storm / That could abash the little bird” (lines 6–7).

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