Smooth Sailing Anonymous 12th Grade

Parents are innately protective of their children. They know that their children will meet struggles in their lives, but at one point the parent must let their child be and simply wish him or “her a lucky passage.” In “The Writer” by Richard Wilbur, the speaker is describing his daughter’s experience in writing, which is used as a metaphor for life. His daughter is facing problems and challenges; she is growing up. This is compared to a starling that was trapped in that exact room just two years earlier. The starling, after much effort and fight, was able to break free. The speaker uses the comparison to illustrate the heart-aching reality that eventually, parents must allow their children to fight through life challenges on their own.

The structure and syntax of the poem emphasize the peaks and downfalls of life. There are 11 stanzas, each consisting of 3 lines each. It is important to notice that the second line of each stanza is always its longest. This visually highlights the ups and downs of life. This clearly stresses how the daughter will hit walls, but be “at it again with a bunched clamor Of strokes” eventually. Furthermore, each stanza except the last consists of one declarative each. However, there are constant...