"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" was written by one of America's most celebrated 20th century poets, Wallace Stevens. The poem was published in Stevens's classic debut collection, Harmonium (1923), and was described by the poet as thirteen different "sensations." These "sensations" are almost like short, individual poems, each of which references a blackbird in some way. As the poem's title suggests, these fragments feature different perspectives, with the bird taking on many disparate meanings as the poem unfolds. The poem is more about evoking certain feelings in the reader than in making any particular argument about birds. Overall, though, the poem does seem to suggest that reality is always a matter of perspective—that each person looks at and understands the world in their own way.
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Among twenty snowy ...
... of the blackbird.
I was of ...
... are three blackbirds.
The blackbird whirled ...
... of the pantomime.
A man and ...
... Are one.
I do not ...
... Or just after.
Icicles filled the ...
... An indecipherable cause.
O thin men ...
... women about you?
I know noble ...
... what I know.
When the blackbird ...
... of many circles.
At the sight ...
... cry out sharply.
He rode over ...
... For blackbirds.
The river is ...
... must be flying.
It was evening ...
... In the cedar-limbs.
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
The Thrilling Mind of Wallace Stevens — An interesting article about Stevens's life and work.
A Reading of the Poem — Tom O'Bedlam reads "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."
Birds and Poetry — A short but excellent selection of bird-related poems.
The Blackbird's Song — A full meditative hour of blackbird singing.
The Poet's Life and Work — A bountiful resource from the Poetry Foundation, including podcasts, essays, and more poems.
Bloom on Stevens — Audio of a fascinating lecture on Stevens by Harold Bloom, one of the most influential literary critics of the 20th century.