Overcoming Obstacles In Richard Wilbur's Poem, The Writer

If one were to ask students about the process of writing undoubtedly there would be many who would express that they found the exercise difficult. Perhaps there would even be great scholars who would give the same answer. One problem that plagues writers is something known as “writer’s block”, the condition of being unable to think of what to write next. Richard Wilbur in his poem entitled “The Writer” details a story of his daughter attempting to write while experiencing writer’s block. Although writing may sometimes be difficult, the challenge can be overcome by a little help from outside sources, hard work, and determination.

In the poem, Wilbur recalls a time when a bird was stuck in his daughter’s room unable to get away. The author

The bird from the poem had to try to find the open window. One might think that that would be an easy task, but Wilbur detail that the bird struggled to find the pathway to freedom. He says that it took an hour of the bird battering around the room before the bird made it through the window. At times it may seem to the writer that he is beating against an unmovable wall. Hard work is required to break down the barriers set up before him.

Richard Wilbur gives one last way of defeating the challenge of writing. The bird had great determination to finally escape the confines of the room. Wilbur says the bird waited trying to find the wits to try again, that the bird was humped and bloody. Although the bird had tried and failed before, the bird persevered and made it through the open window. The writer will feel discouraged and helpless, but he must continue on if he wishes to succeed at his task. Only with determination will the walls come down.

Richard Wilbur’s story of a bird caught in a room is an example to writers everywhere that the writing process is difficult and can be a challenge, but through help from others, hard work, and determination it can conquered. Writers should seek advice from others when trapped by their own limited mind. They have to put in the hard work to achieve the goal, and finally they must persevere through the overwhelming struggle of writing to