In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
- A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Raymond Antrobus's intention and message
“With Birds You're Never Lonely” in a nutshell:
“With Birds You're Never Lonely”, written by the twentieth-century poet Raymond Antrobus, examines, via a speaker who is deaf, London’s urban world and compares this to a rural community in New Zealand, in order to comment on the way disconnections with the natural world can isolate people.
“With Birds You're Never Lonely” breakdown
Lines 1–3
“I can’t hear the barista
over the coffee machine.
Spoons slam, steam rises.”
Translation
- The poem begins describing a modern London coffee shop
- The shop is described as noisy and busy
Antrobus's intention
- The first two lines of the poem open in media res, describing the noise of the shop:
- The background noise is intrusive and makes communication difficult
- The coffee shop is described in sensory imagery to bring the scene to life, creating an immediacy which contributes to a sense of busyness
Lines 4–6
“I catch the eye of a man
sitting in the corner
of the cafe reading alone”
Translation
- The speaker observes a man in the coffee shop and notices they are alone
Antrobus's intention
- The first-person perspective allows Antrobus to focus on significant details
- The speaker uses non-verbal communication to “catch the eye of a man”
- Here, Antrobus introduces the idea of solitude, as he introduces a man sitting by himself
Lines 7–9
“about trees which is, incidentally,
all I can think about
since returning.”
Translation
- The speaker returns to their own thoughts as they notice the man is reading about trees
- The speaker introduces a memory that has had great impact on them
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus's speaker returns to their own thoughts as they are reminded of a significant event:
- The man’s book, which is about trees, is connected to the memory of a place they visited
- This, in turn, creates a connection between the speaker and the man
Lines 10–11
“Last week I sat alone
on a stump, deep in Zelandia forest”
Translation
- The speaker is reminded of when he was alone in a forest the week before
- He was in New Zealand, sitting on the stump of a tree
Antrobus's intention
- The speaker describes the forest as “deep” to conjure up images of a wilderness
- The image of being alone in a deep forest conveys the significance of the experience
Lines 12–14
“with sun-syrupped Kauri trees
and brazen Tui birds with white tufts
and yellow and black beaks.”
Translation
- The speaker closely describes the plants and animals in New Zealand
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus uses natural imagery to describe New Zealand
- Antrobus's speaker remembers the vibrancy and sensuality of nature:
- For example, the metaphor of the “sun-syrupped” Kauri trees suggests that the sun has coated the trees in sweet luxury
Lines 15–18
“They landed by my feet, blaring so loudly
I had to turn off my hearing aids.
When all sound disappeared, I was tuned
into a silence that was not an absence.”
Translation
- The speaker describes the intrusive sounds of the forest in New Zealand
- They say the birds were so loud they had to turn off their hearing aid:
- This is the first time the reader learns that the speaker is deaf
- This allows the speaker to reconnect with nature, as they are able to “tune in”
- He describes it positively, saying the silence was not uncomfortable or lonely
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus describes the sounds of the forest to contrast the sounds of modern London
- Antrobus conveys the sense of immersion and comfort found in the natural world:
- Nature is shown to be a powerful presence rather than an absence, and the verb “tuned” suggests the speaker is harmonising with nature
Lines 19–26
“As I switched sound on again,
silence collapsed.
The forest spat all the birds back,
and I was jealous—
the earthy Kauri trees, their endless
brown and green trunks of sturdiness.
I wondered what the trees
would say about us?
What books would they write
if they had to cut us down?”
Translation
- The speaker explains that when they switched the hearing aid back on the silence ended
- The forest came alive with uncomfortable noise again
- The speaker appears to be jealous of the natural world – of the unhearing trees
- Nature is described as resilient and eternal
- The speaker questions an alternative perspective: they ask what nature may think of humans
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus changes tone here as negative emotions are implied
- The forest seems angry as it “spits” the sound of the birds and the speaker expresses jealousy towards the unhearing trees
- Antrobus begins to raise questions about the impact of humans on the natural world
Lines 27–31
“Later, stumbling from the forest I listened
to a young Maori woman.
She could tell which bird chirped,
a skill she learned from her grandfather
who said with birds you’re never lonely.”
Translation
- The speaker recalls meeting an indigenous woman in New Zealand
- The speaker explains the close connection she has with the natural world:
- She knows the sounds of the birds very well
- This knowledge is passed down through the generations
- The speaker remembers something she said: that being a part of nature brings a sense of comfort and belonging
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus shows how the trip impacted the speaker:
- They stumble from the forest, implying, perhaps, either their vulnerability in nature or how shaken they were
- The poet conveys the connection the Maori people have with nature
- Antrobus also implies a sense of belonging and of family, as the speaker refers to a legacy of knowledge about the natural world
- The title of the poem is repeated to emphasise the idea of a close relationship between humans and nature
Lines 32–35
“In that moment I felt sorry
for any grey tree in London,
for the family they don’t have,
the Gods they can’t hold.”
Translation
- The speaker returns to the present and to London
- The speaker expresses remorse at the way urban London has made the trees “lonely” as they have so few birds around them
- He expresses pity for the trees, as they are lonely and isolated
Antrobus's intention
- Antrobus contrasts the bright colours of the forest with the description of the “grey” trees in London to highlight ideas about urbanisation
- Antrobus uses emotive language to convey remorse about the impact of humans on the natural world
- Antrobus ends the poem on a bleak note:
- The trees, he says, are without family or spirituality
- He implies the urban world brings isolation
- The poem therefore concludes again with the idea of connection
- The final line suggests that humanity does not respect nature enough (we see ourselves as gods, rather than seeing god in nature)