Vivid Imagery In Richard Wilbur's The Juggler

In Richard Wilbur's poem "The Juggler," the speaker uses vivid imagery and figurative language to describe the skill and control of a juggler, creating a sense of admiration and awe for the juggler's ability to defy gravity and create a sense of magic and wonder through his performance. However, the speaker also recognizes the temporary nature of the juggler's feats and the eventual return to everyday life, adding a sense of nostalgia and longing to the poem. Through this description of the juggler, the speaker reveals a fascination with the juggler's abilities and the temporary escape from the mundane that the juggler's performance offers, while also acknowledging the limitations of that escape.

The poem begins by comparing a ball to the

The use of vivid imagery helps to convey the sense of wonder and magic that the juggler's performance creates, as the reader can picture the balls "wheeling" and "grazing" the juggler's fingers and the table, broom, and plate "turning," "balancing," and "whirling" on various parts of the juggler's

The use of the phrase "learning the ways of lightness" adds to the sense of the temporary nature of the juggler's feats, as the balls are described as learning a skill that is not their natural state.

The tone of the poem is one of admiration and awe for the juggler's abilities. The speaker marvels at the juggler's skill in manipulating the balls and performing feats of balance, and the audience is described as being entertained and impressed by the juggler's performance. The use of words like "marvels" and "impressed" conveys the speaker's admiration for the juggler's abilities and the impact of the performance on the audience. At the same time, there is a sense of nostalgia and longing in the poem, as the speaker acknowledges the temporary nature of the juggler's feats and the return to everyday