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Thomas and Frost both write about birds
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In both “Oven Bird” and “The Owl”, Frost writes about ‘birds’
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However, while “Oven bird” is personified as
he brings his message of a song to all that can hear, “The Owl” also brings a message, but a
“cry” focuses on a negative message of the hardship and suffering of men who are less
fortunate
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Spring makes way for
summer which makes way for autumn, which is then replaced by winter
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The spring is
comparable to our youth when the leaves are growing, the summer to our adulthood when
man is like a tree and its leaves is in his prime
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Therefore the bird prepares us for
autumn through his message and makes the speaker reflect on what he will do with his life
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Both “Oven Bird” and “The Owl” have explicit titles, which simultaneously tell the reader the
subject of the poem, and highlight the significance of the ‘birds’
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The “Owl” is recognised as a wise creature and also an omen of
death
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Similarly, in “Oven Bird” the title highlights the significant role of the bird, which is
traditionally a small American songbird, therefore foreshadowing it will bring a positive
message to the speaker
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The elongated vowel sounds of
“There is a singer everyone has heard” emulates the spreading of this message as it spreads
across the air
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“The Owl” is written in four quatrains and has a regular rhyme scheme to symbolise that
suffering is widespread and constant
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The regular iambic pentameter employed
throughout mimics the footsteps of the speaker as he is not just on a literal journey, but also
an emotional journey to recognise that suffering is worldwide
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In contrast, “Oven Bird” is a
fixed sonnet with 14 lines mirroring that the seasons are fixed and changes are a natural

part of the passing of time
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It also has a fixed rhyme scheme, similar to “The Owl” the
reinforce that the passing of time is unavoidable and also serves as a metaphorical
representation that the different stages of our lives are unescapable as growing older and
dying is fixed and regular
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This series of oppositions and use of antithesis to describe the speakers state focuses
initially on something negative then moves onto a positive as he realises his element of
suffering could be worse The use of repetition places emphasis on his realisation of his
hardships, yet he tries not to dwell on these he realises it could be a lot more unpleasant
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Furthermore, the syntactical inversion
of “hungry, cold and tired was I” creates emphasis on the word “I” to illuminate that he is in
focus and it is not until the he hears the birds cry that he realises he is better off than those
outside
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Additionally, the pronoun “all” in “the night was quite
barred out except/ An owl’s cry” emphasises his new found comfort and safety as he has the
ability to lock out the dangers from outside, creating a joyful tone, yet the owls power is
reinforced as his cry is able to get through when nothing else can into the inn, capturing his
power and strength against all other elements of nature
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Similarly, in “Oven Bird” the birds message strong and is reinforced through the adjective
“loud” to capture the resounding nature of the birds song and to convey that the birds
message is not one that can be escaped from as change is reality
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“Mid” suggests travel has already taken place and the
emphasis of the concept of time and location changing stresses that change is inevitable as
things do not remain fixed
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Furthermore, the
harsh sibilance sounds of “Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again” reinforces how
forceful the birds message is and the bird is depicted as playing an active role as it has the
power to make everything to come to life
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The bird in “The Owl” similarly brings a message of reflection to the reader, but this one has
a more negative meaning about the suffering of fellow man
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It also creates a
negative atmosphere as the hardship is reflected in the message that he brings and provides
the speaker with the realisation of how so many more people are in pain
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The use of assonance also captures the prolonged cry of the bird
as it is shaken out for all to hear
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The repetition of “salted” in “salted was
my food, and my repose/ Salted and sobered” reinforces the negativity of the owl’s message
further as it takes the satisfaction out of his food
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This further conveys his inability to relax as the owls cry constantly reminds him
of the others outside, therefore he is unable to rest
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Throughout both “The Owl” and “Oven Bird” the birds are presented as messengers
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The
syntactical inversion of “And others could not, that night, as in I went” captures that he is
aware of himself yet he is different from other people who didn’t escape from the suffering,
creating a reflective tone
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The punctuation
additionally slows down the pace to reflect his realisation that it isn’t about him and allows
us as readers to see he is faced with a realisation that others suffering continues
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” captures that the birds role is more purposeful than other
birds and therefore it doesn’t stop and instead continues to carry its song to all those that
can hear
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In conclusion, both “Oven bird” and “The Owl” portray the significance of the “birds” impact
on the speaker’s life
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In “The Owl” Thomas uses a range of techniques to convey man’s
connection with the bird as it brings him the negative message of a “cry” that although he
has found shelter, there are still others facing hardship
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”



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