Stormcock in Elder

Ruth Pitter

In my dark hermitage, aloof

From the world’s sight and the world’s sound,
By the small door where the old roof
Hangs but five feet above the ground,
I groped along the shelf for bread
But found celestial food instead:

For suddenly close at my ear,

Loud, loud and wild, with wintry glee,
The old unfailing chorister
Burst out in pride of poetry;
And through the broken roof I spied
Him by his singing glorified.

Scarcely an arm’s-length from the eye,

Myself unseen, I saw him there;
The throbbing throat that made the cry,
The breast dewed from the misty air,
The polished bill that opened wide
And showed the pointed tongue inside;

The large eye, ringed with many a ray

Of minion feathers, finely laid,
The feet that grasped the elder-spray;
How strongly used, how subtly made
The scale, the sinew, and the claw,
Plain through the broken roof I saw;

The flight-feathers in tail and wing,

The shorter coverts, and the white
Merged into russet, marrying
The bright breast to the pinions bright,
Gold sequins, spots of chestnut, shower
Of silver, like a brindled flower.

Soldier of fortune, northwest Jack,

Old hard-times’ braggart, there you blow
But tell me ere your bagpipes crack
How you can make so brave a show,
Full-fed in February, and dressed
Like a rich merchant at a feast.
 One-half the world, or so they say,
Knows not how half the world may live;
So sing your song and go your way,
And still in February contrive
As bright as Gabriel to smile
On elder-spray by broken tile.

How does the poet use language to create a vivid image of the bird?
How does the poet turn “Stormcock in Elder” into a deeply religious poem?

Quote/device Analysis

Economy: 7 stanzas of 6 lines Unity and continuity, order in nature

Rhyme: abab cc

“In my dark hermitage, aloof” Secluded house alone, like a hermit’s dwelling
● Trapped in her own world of darkness, hiding and distant
“From the world’s sight and the from the world, shutting out the sights and sounds
world’s sound” ● Sibilance: hushed sound, reinforces her solitude

“Ground… groped” Alliteration of harsh guttural /g/: her desolation and hard reality
before sighting the bird

“I groped along the shelf for food, but
found celestial food instead”
Instead of finding bread, her soul is fed and nourished and she
transcends the physical world
● Physical vs hedonistic needs
● Her search for hunger is more about her search for spiritual
fulfilment

“Loud, loud and wild, with wintry glee” ● Repetition of “loud” emphasises the contrast to her quiet
solitude

● Oxymoron highlights contrast between harsh winter and

joyful bird

● Repetition of “l” and “w”: These wispy and gliding sounds

have a soothing effect that suggests lightness and joy

“Old unfailing chorister” Veteran crooner that has honed its craft over the years // church choir

“Burst out in pride of poetry” ● Lending a lyrical lilt to the birdsong

● Alliteration of plosive /p/ also reflects the proud majesty of

the birdsong

“Spied”, “eye”, “saw” Physical seeing // spiritual eyes opened

“Throbbing throat that made the cry” Concrete images, vivid and tactile imagery
● Real and vibrant bird
“Breast dewed from the misty air” ● Speaker is spell-bound by its fragile yet beautiful appearance
 Etcetc

“Scale”, “sinew”, “coverts”, “pinions” Reveals her intimate knowledge of these naturalistic details

Sibilance and assonance in paragraph 4 /a/ and /y/: euphonic sound patterns with harmonious effect

“Strongly used, subtly made” Contrast accentuates the majesty of God’s creation: robust yet
delicate

Paragraph 5: dazzling colours Reflects her own spiritual/religious experience

● Connecting with God transforms her world into a blaze of
riotous colours

“Soldier of fortune” Metaphor that emphasises how unusual it is to find the bird at this
time of the year
● Personification elevates bird to greater significance by the
speaker’s use of human pronouns, rather than calling the bird
“it.”
● Upbeat tone

“Full-fed in February” Fricative /f/, irony as even in the harsh winter the bird is provided for

“Dressed like a rich merchant at a Simile → bird is well-provided for

feast”

“One half the world, or so they say, How she had lived with ignorance, but now this realisation is an
know not how half the world may live” epiphany

“As bright as Gabriel to smile”
The archangel Gabriel is a famous messenger in the Christian faith,
best-known for delivering the news to the Virgin Mary that she is
pregnant with Jesus, the son of God, who will grow up to bring new
faith to millions. In making this comparison, the speaker suggests that
the stormcock is also a spiritual messenger, shining “bright” new light
on the speaker’s circumstances, and heralding the arrival of faith and
new hope.

Topic sentences:

● The contrast drawn between the magnificent bird and its barren surroundings accentuates the
Stormcock’s majestic splendour.
● Pitter’s intricate use of visual imagery conveys the author’s admiration and appreciation of the bird,
allowing readers a deeper insight.
● Through the repeated use of religious imagery, Pitter vividly depicts the stormcock as an almost sacred
entity.