Summary

The speaker stands in the stairwell near their daughter’s room, where their daughter is composing a story. The typewriter keys sound like the hauling of chains against a ship. The speaker considers the story being written as the daughter pauses for a moment, considering her next words. The speaker is reminded of a past memory in which a bird became trapped in their daughter’s room. Together the speaker and the daughter watched and waited for the bird to find its way out. It took a long time, with several failed attempts, before the bird finally saw a clear path to the outside world. Through this memory, the speaker recognizes that this need for creative escape can be the difference between living and dying.

Analysis

The poem begins by establishing both setting and extended metaphor: “In her room at the prow of the...