Literary Analysis Of Juggler, By Richard Wilbur

Adoration for even the most simple or ordinary matters is an aspect of ourselves that we cannot easily hide. Whether it was an evening by the fire, a trip to the bookstore, or even the coming of a beautiful season, activities that bring us joy can be evident by mere attentiveness or the reaction of it. In Juggler, a poem written in 1942 by Richard Wilbur, he brilliantly displays the wondrous and captivating act of a juggler that draws an incredible audience. Richard Wilbur uses lively, vivid imagery and figurate language to describe the entertaining juggler and reveal that the speaker thoroughly enjoys the juggler’s act and positively treasures the experience.
This poetic piece expresses the juggler’s performance through descriptive, distinct

For example, “A light-hearted [ball] . . . falling is what it loves” (2-3). Through this metaphor, the author is able to portray how the balls are submissive to the will of the juggler, but happily so. “Light-hearted” is not typically thought of as a trait for a mere toy, but with this figurative language, Wilbur is able to reveal that the speaker notices the complete cheerfulness and buoyancy of a simple tool used by the performer. Furthermore, the metaphor illustrates how the ball loves to fall, which can further explain the festive perspective of the speaker. With these tools at the entertainer’s disposal, what show that the juggler put on wouldn’t be a pleasure to watch? Another example of figurative language that reveals the speaker’s positive outlook on the juggler is, “he reels . . . heaven in” (16). This metaphor once again depicts the entertainer as a wondrous performer— although he doesn’t literally reel the kingdom of heaven in, this figurative language describes how the juggler is able to bring to the audience, and the speaker, an exciting and extravagant routine that can be compared to the shape of “heaven.” Another instance where figurative language was used to reveal the joy the speaker gains from watching the juggler is, “the spin of worlds, and

In the poem Juggler, Richard Wilbur conveys the routine of a talented entertainer through figurative and imagery, which reveals how the speaker is completely delighted by the act. This poem, while portraying the juggler in colorful hues and the performance to be one full of action, allows the reader to view the captivation the speaker gains from observing the avid