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Mind By Richard Wilbur

434 Words2 Pages

In the poem “Mind” by Richard Wilbur, the author describes the human mind through similies and peaceful diction that convey how the human mind and consciousness control decision-making. The author reveals that he believes one wrong decision can entirely change our course of life. The author uses figurative language to identify the comparison between the human mind and a bat soaring through a cave. The author concludes the poem by saying, “The mind is like a bat. Precisely.” The repetition of this simile throughout the poem illustrates how the mind is navigating through life making crucial decisions every day. The author is comparing these everyday decisions to a bat flying through a pitch-black cave. The human mind faces adversity but tries to avoid it like a bat avoids obstacles within the cave. The author also describes the bat by saying, “beats about in caverns all alone,” in order to illustrate how the mind must make these choices on its own without the influence of others. The mind makes these decisions …show more content…

To end the first stanza, the author writes “Not to conclude against a wall of stone.” The author’s decision to use the word “conclude” creates a more relaxed tone within the poem. This wording is almost confusing for the reader because it is used to describe a clueless bat slamming into a stone wall. Rather than using a harsh word to show the end of life, the author uses the word conclude which gives a feeling of a natural, gentle ending. He conveys how awareness is an extremely important part of navigating life. At the end of the last stanza, the author says “A graceful error may correct the cave.” The author showcases how even those who seem to enjoy life the most make decisions that can ruin their lives forever. The author describes the mind as being intelligent although many spend their time on meaningless

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