Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Of all the bazillion different types of birds, why do you think Bryant chose the waterfowl? Why not something else?
- Do you feel that the speaker finds the answer to his problems a little too easily? Don't you think it's a lot harder in real life to find comfort than by simply looking at a bird?
- What do you make of the poem's form? How does this reinforce the poem's spiritual bent, if at all?
- How does this poem compare to books (and movies) like Lord of the Rings, where you can find the line "not all those who wander are lost"?
- Some people say that William Cullen Bryant's literary reputation isn't exactly the best—in other words, he's not as revered as Shakespeare, or Melville, or Whitman. Why do you think this is?