He+bit+an+Angle+Worm+in+halves

"He bit an Angel worm in halves"

This is the finest example of **Dickinson’s** nature verse, for it perfectly juxtaposes elements of superficial gentility against the inner barbarity that characterizes the workings of the world. The narrator chances to see a **bird** walking along a pathway, but just as the scene appears perfect, the **bird** seizes upon a **worm**, bites it in two, and **devours** it. The **bird** drinks some dew on nearby grass (**note the alternate for a drinking “glass**”), then graciously steps aside, right to a wall, to allow a **beetle** to pass. The **bird**, like one fearful of being caught in an unacceptable action, glances around quickly with **darting eyes**. Return to Poems Page