From its start, "Barn Owl" is a poem marked by tension and high stakes. Three of the first four lines are interrupted by caesura—in the first line's case, immediately after the first word, "Daybreak." These interruptions build anticipation, especially that first colon, which suggests an emphatic declaration or decision, creating the sense that the speaker of the poem is on a mission. And indeed, the speaker, introduced here via the first-person, is certainly up to something. The speaker is described as a "horny fiend," creeping out of the house at dawn while the rest of "the household" sleeps—armed with their "father's gun."
This ominous hint of violence is further emphasized by the poem's language, particularly its use of consonance. The hushed sibilance of repeated /s/ sounds evoke the speaker's caution as they sneak out quietly with the stolen gun. Likewise, the sharp /pt/ sounds at the end of "slept" and "crept" have a sharp but sneaky quality. The alliterative /f/ sounds linking "fiend" and "father" sound fierce, again hinting at violence or wrongdoing.
At the same time, however, the speaker's actions suggest they are unaware of the sense of dread hinted at by the poem's language. In fact, the speaker sees their actions as "blessed by the sun," metaphorically interpreting the early morning light as a sign of approval.
The neat rhyme scheme of these first four lines—"slept" and "crept," "sun" and "gun"—likewise feels safe, orderly, and ultimately affirming. This mixture of ominous and upbeat poetic devices suggests that the events of the poem are more complex than the speaker realizes. In particular, the striking symbol of the gun insists on readers taking this moment seriously—even if the speaker does not yet.