Birds: Poems by Judith Wright

The following is a review by Ernie Allison. Ernie is a nature writer by trade, with a particular focus on birds and bird watching. He spends as much time out in nature or watching the backyard bird feeder with his grandkids as he can, filling the rest of his time with writing about his experiences.

Judith Wright was destined to be a poet from a young age. Born in Australia in 1915, she started writing poetry for her sick mother at the age of six. She never stopped, and became a well-known poet and political activist. She saw a void in Australian poetry, a lack of writing about nature, and so took it upon herself to write about the trees and birds in her life.

Her collection Birds: Poems was released in 1962. In 2003, after her death, the National Library of Australia published an expanded edition of the book with commentary by her daughter.

Birds is exactly what it sounds like – a collection of poetry about birds. Most of the poems focus on one specific species, which is the title of the poem. The poems mix observation of the bird’s habits with stories of Wright’s interactions and frame of mind when she sees the creatures.

In Lyrebirds, Wright expresses respect and admiration for a bird he will never see, because

some things – birds like walking fables – ought to inhabit nowhere but the reverence of the heart.

In this way, she uses observation about birds to relate a life lesson. How many of us who sit at our bird feeders can relate to that? Why do we commune with nature? So we can learn more about ourselves and this crazy world we live in. We reflect on nature at its purest so that we can find the core of our existence.

Brown Bird with the silver eyes fly down and teach me to sing

Wright’s poetry shows longing and strength together. Her life was not easy; losing her mother at a young age and going to live with various relatives. Nature was her escape and poetry was her outlet. In her later works, we see allusions to the Vietnam War and other political issues. She was a strong advocate for aboriginal rights and a respected voice in her day. She also, unsurprisingly, was involved in several environmental conservation efforts, including the conservation of The Great Barrier Reef.

Like life itself, Wright’s collection is a mixture of joy and grief. The two are both present throughout the collection, sometimes meeting in the same poem. This, to me, gives a matter-of-fact tone to the poems, like saying: good things happen, bad things happen, life continues.

In the 2003 edition, Wright’s poems are accompanied by artwork of the various birds featured in the poems. This gives the entire collection a natural, peaceful feel. Though some would argue that the poems provide enough imagery, the visual aspect adds another dimension to the works.

As a bird watcher, I really enjoyed Birds: Poems by Judith Wright and I hope that you will read it and enjoy it as well.