"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" issimply the most exquisite flow of consciousness and handiwork ever put on paper.With numbered stanzas and short, unforgettable images and ideas, the poem takesus through the metaphorical and realistic flight of a simple blackbird.

This poem of rare beauty modestly embodies seemingly every aspect of humannature: love, wisdom, fear, religion, nature, etc. The verses are short andsimple, yet incredibly profound. Each stanza leaves you with a new idea or imageto ponder, possibly forever. It speaks to your heart, your eyes and your silence,and sings with a melodic Buddhist chant of both sad and uplifting reflection.Japanese haiku heavily influences it. Each line contains infinite messages yetdoesn't ask you to over-intellectualize; it simply allows the blackbird to takeyou places.

The poem first caught my attention because I see theblackbird as sort of a totem of my own spirit. I had a natural inclination towardits flight, and understood and immediately saw that flash of the blackbird ineach line. Also, many poets speak of the poem with great love and fondness."Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" has a way of speaking tosomething secret in everyone who reads it, and most people have their own specialway of looking at the blackbird.