"Parrot" by Stevie Smith

Macroscopic Analysis

Title: The title, "Parrot," directly points to the subject of the poem. The parrot, often
associated with mimicry and repetitive behavior, symbolizes more than just a bird—it stands
for unchanging routines and a lack of freedom.
Form: The poem consists of short stanzas with simple language, which mirrors the repetitive
and static nature of the parrot's life in captivity.
Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is irregular, which adds to the feeling of disconnection
or discomfort the parrot feels in its artificial environment.
Tone: The tone is melancholic, with an underlying sense of dark humor. The poem conveys a
sense of sorrow about the parrot’s situation but also a subtle critique of the human tendency
to cage and control life.
Mood: The mood is somber and reflective, prompting readers to think about captivity—
whether physical, emotional, or societal—and the limitations it imposes.

Themes

1. Imprisonment and Freedom: The poem explores the theme of captivity through the
parrot’s experience in a cage, reflecting on how confinement limits the creature’s
freedom and natural instincts.
2. The Futility of Repetition: The parrot’s mimicry of human speech and its
mechanical responses highlight the monotony and meaninglessness of repetitive
actions.
3. Death and Decay: The parrot’s sickness and eventual waiting for death symbolize the
inevitability of decay, whether physical or spiritual.
4. Alienation and Despair: The parrot’s life in the cage reflects a sense of alienation
from the natural world, and the poem invites reflection on the futility of its existence
in a man-made environment.

Tone

 Melancholic: The tone reflects the sorrowful state of the parrot’s existence, focusing
on its illness and suffering.
 Ironic: There is an ironic contrast between the parrot’s natural life (symbolized by its
jungle origins) and its current captivity, which makes it a tragic figure.
 Detached: The somewhat distant, observational tone adds to the sense of helplessness
and inevitability in the parrot’s fate.

Mood

 Sad: The reader feels sympathy for the parrot’s condition and its inability to escape its
cage or suffering.
  Bleak: The bleakness of the parrot’s environment is emphasized by the descriptions
of its illness and the cold, indifferent surroundings.
 Hopeless: The sense of despair is palpable as the parrot waits for death, highlighting
the futility of its existence.

Analysis

Opening Stanza "The old sick green parrot / High in a dingy cage / Sick with malevolent
rage"

 Imagery: "Dingy cage" and "sick with malevolent rage" evoke a sense of oppression
and frustration.
 Alliteration: "Sick" and "green" emphasize the parrot's deteriorating condition, and
the harsh sound of "rage" suggests its anger and discomfort.

Second Stanza "Beadily glutted his furious eye / On the old dark / Chimneys of Noel Park"

 Imagery: "Beadily glutted his furious eye" suggests the parrot’s intense, obsessive
gaze, emphasizing its rage and frustration.
 Metaphor: The "chimneys of Noel Park" symbolize a lifeless, industrial environment
that stands in contrast to the parrot’s vibrant tropical home.

Third Stanza "Far from his jungle green / Over the seas he came / To the yellow skies, to the
dripping rain"

 Contrast: The imagery of "jungle green" and "yellow skies" juxtaposes the parrot's
natural habitat with its harsh, foreign environment.
 Juxtaposition: The tropical warmth of the parrot’s birthplace is sharply contrasted
with the cold, rain-soaked surroundings it now faces.

Fourth Stanza "To the night of his despair. / And the pavements of his street / Are shining
beneath the lamp"

 Symbolism: The "night of despair" represents emotional and existential darkness. The
"shining pavements" are beautiful but indifferent to the parrot’s suffering,
highlighting the alienation it feels.
 Irony: The beauty of the surroundings seems irrelevant to the parrot, further
emphasizing the disconnect between nature and the human world.

Fifth Stanza "With a beauty that’s not for one / Born under a tropic sun."

 Irony: The beauty of the world is wasted on the parrot, which is not suited to its new
environment. The parrot’s tropical origins make the surroundings feel foreign and
inhospitable.
 Alliteration: "Born under a tropic sun" emphasizes the parrot’s exotic origins and
adds a rhythmic quality to the line.

Sixth Stanza "He has croup. His feathered chest / Knows no minute of rest."

 Imagery: "Feathered chest" conjures the image of a fragile, sickly creature.

  Symbolism: The constant illness reflects the parrot’s ongoing suffering, suggesting an
inability to find peace or rest.

Final Stanza "High on his perch he sits / And coughs and spits, / Waiting for death to come. /
Pray heaven it won’t be long."

 Repetition: The repeated actions of "coughs and spits" emphasize the parrot’s
constant distress.
 Irony: The parrot’s wait for death feels futile yet inevitable, symbolizing both
physical and emotional decay.
 Personification: The parrot’s "waiting for death" gives it a human-like awareness of
its mortality, making the suffering more poignant.

Literary Devices

1. Alliteration:
o "Sick with malevolent rage," "feathered chest," "coughs and spits" –
Repetitive consonant sounds reflect the parrot’s suffering and the monotony of
its existence.
2. Imagery:
o "Dingy cage," "yellow skies," "dripping rain" – Vivid sensory details evoke
the harsh, dismal environment in which the parrot is trapped.
3. Metaphor:
o "The night of his despair" – Night as a metaphor for the parrot’s emotional and
physical suffering.
o "The beauty that’s not for one born under a tropic sun" – Suggests the parrot’s
alienation from the beauty of its surroundings.
4. Personification:
o "Furious eye" and "waiting for death" give the parrot human-like qualities,
emphasizing its emotional state and existential awareness.
5. Juxtaposition:
o The contrast between the parrot’s "jungle green" and the "yellow skies"
highlights the harshness of its current existence.
6. Repetition:
o "Coughs and spits" – Repeated actions that emphasize the parrot’s unrelenting
suffering.
7. Irony:
o The parrot, far from its natural home, suffers in a world that is beautiful but
meaningless to it. The contrast between its origins and its current condition
creates a tragic irony.

Central Idea

The poem highlights the suffering of a captive parrot, displaced from its natural environment
and trapped in a cycle of illness and despair. Through its vivid portrayal of the parrot’s
condition, the poem reflects broader themes of alienation, repetition, and the inevitability of
death, prompting readers to reflect on the destructive impact of confinement—whether
physical, emotional, or societal—on individuals.