Boy At The Window By Richard Wilbur

A child’s life is replete with exhilaration, merriment, and unalloyed thoughts. Correspondingly, where there is joy, there is sorrow. The assertions applied in “Boy at the Window” by Richard Wilbur connect the unusual bond intertwined between a young child and a snowman. The child’s innocent mind contributes to the underlying concerns within his steadfast heart. Various literary elements are conveyed throughout the concise poem, which allude to the differentiating points of view perceived by the boy and the snowman. The young boy is introduced as emotionally unstable based on the harsh effects of Mother Nature. As the boy strengthens his feelings of grief, the snowman remains in a state of cruelty as he suffers outside in the “gnashing” of snow. The boy collects all of his feelings of sadness into his point of view, which guides the reader to generating a sense of pity for the child. The snowman gives the boy a “God-forsaken stare” that essentially is the snowman’s cry for help in the eyes of the boy. Despite the overwhelming heartache the boy is experiencing, the snowman appears to be in a more subtle state of mind.

The snowman subconsciously implies a sense of sympathy for the boy as he stays outside in the unbearable weather. “His” point of view is essential to developing the overall message of youthful innocence. As the snowman melts enough to make the child begin to cry, it is inferred that the snowman was not initiating the gloomy feelings of the child; he was nonetheless trying to prevent them. Initially, the divergent points of view were difficult to grasp, but within further evaluation is it clear to notice that the two different views illustrate devastation within fear and heartfelt love for genuine