The Panic Bird
By Robert Phillips
just flew inside my chest. Some
days it lights inside my brain,
but today it’s in my bonehouse,
rattling ribs like a birdcage.If I saw it coming, I’d fend it
off with machete or baseball bat.
Or grab its scrawny hackled neck,
wring it like a wet dishrag.But it approaches from behind.
Too late I sense it at my back –
carrion, garbage, excrement.
Once inside me it preens, roosts,vulture on a public utility pole.
Next it flaps, it cries, it glares,
it rages, it struts, it thrusts
its clacking beak into my liver,my guts, my heart, rips off strips.
I fill with black blood, black bile.
This may last minutes or days.
Then it lifts sickle‑shaped wings,rises, is gone, leaving a residue –
foul breath, droppings, molted midnight
feathers. And life continues.
And then I’m prey to panic again.
Summary of The Panic Bird
- Understanding “The Panic Bird”: Robert Phillips’ “The Panic Bird” is a strikingly visceral poem exploring the experience of a panic attack. It moves beyond simply describing anxiety; it embodies it. The poem utilizes extended metaphor, presenting panic as a predatory bird that invades the body, causing intense physical and emotional distress. Its power lies in its ability to translate the abstract experience of panic into concrete, disturbing imagery.
- The Poem as a Representation of Extreme Distress: Phillips portrays panic not as a fleeting emotion, but as an unwelcome, invasive force. The bird’s arrival is insidious—it “approaches from behind”—and its presence is characterized by violence and decay. The poem doesn’t simply state that the speaker feels anxious; it shows the internal turmoil through the bird’s actions—ripping, thrusting, and leaving a “residue” of unpleasantness. This vivid imagery helps readers understand the overwhelming and consuming nature of a panic attack.
- Major Themes in “The Panic Bird” : The central theme is, undoubtedly, the experience of panic and anxiety. However, the poem also touches upon themes of helplessness, vulnerability, and the cyclical nature of mental health struggles. The bird’s inevitable return (“And then I’m prey to panic again”) suggests that even after a panic attack subsides, the threat remains. This emphasizes the ongoing challenges faced by those who live with anxiety disorders.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in The Panic Bird
Literary devices are the tools writers use to craft meaning and enhance the impact of their work. Phillips skillfully employs several throughout “The Panic Bird.”
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates a musical quality and emphasizes certain words. For example, the repetition of the short “e” sound in “fend it off” and “wet dishrag” subtly highlights the speaker’s desperate attempts to combat the panic.
- Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. We see this in phrases like “black blood, black bile” creating a sense of harshness and emphasizing the physicality of the experience.
- Allusion: While not a direct reference to a specific work, the “sickle‑shaped wings” and the bird leaving a “residue” evoke imagery of death and decay, subtly hinting at the destructive power of panic. This evokes associations with the Grim Reaper, suggesting a looming threat.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within words. For instance, the recurrence of the “n” sound in “Then it lifts” and the “t” sound in “thrusts” contributes to the poem’s rhythmic quality and intensifies the feeling of tension.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next without punctuation. This is prevalent throughout the poem, for example: “just flew inside my chest. Some
days it lights inside my brain,”. This creates a sense of breathlessness and mimics the feeling of being overwhelmed. The lack of pauses mirrors the relentless nature of a panic attack. - Irony: There’s a subtle irony in the speaker’s desire to fight the panic. The bird “approaches from behind,” suggesting a lack of control and the inevitability of the attack. The speaker’s attempts at defense are futile, highlighting the internal nature of the struggle.
- Imagery: Phillips uses powerful, visceral imagery to convey the experience of panic. Phrases like “rattling ribs like a birdcage,” “foul breath, droppings, molted midnight,” and “its clacking beak into my liver” create a disturbing and unforgettable picture of internal turmoil. This imagery engages the reader’s senses, making the experience of panic all the more real.
- Metaphor: The entire poem functions as an extended metaphor, with the bird representing panic. This allows Phillips to explore the abstract experience of anxiety in concrete, physical terms.
- Simile: The use of “rattling ribs like a birdcage” establishes an immediate connection between the speaker’s physical state and the feeling of being trapped and vulnerable. It helps the reader visualize the impact of panic on the body.
- Symbolism: The bird itself is a potent symbol of anxiety, but the “residue” it leaves behind symbolizes the lingering effects of panic—the exhaustion, the fear, and the anticipation of another attack.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Panic Bird
While many literary devices overlap with poetic devices, some are more specific to poetry.
- Diction: Phillips’s word choice is deliberate and impactful. He uses harsh, unsettling language (“carrion,” “excrement,” “ripping”) to convey the unpleasantness of the experience. His descriptive diction, combined with evocative imagery, creates a powerful and memorable effect.
- Free Verse: The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not adhere to a strict rhyme scheme or meter. This gives it a natural, conversational feel and allows the rhythm to flow organically, mirroring the unpredictable nature of panic.
- Quatrain: While not consistently maintained, the poem frequently utilizes quatrains (four‑line stanzas). This provides a sense of structure within the free verse form.
- Stanza: The poem is divided into six stanzas, each contributing to the overall narrative and emotional arc. The stanza breaks create pauses that emphasize key moments and allow the reader to process the intensity of the experience.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “The Panic Bird” are particularly effective when discussing the impact of anxiety and panic on the human experience.
I fill with black blood, black bile.
This may last minutes or days.
Then it lifts sickle‑shaped wings.
These lines vividly convey the physical and emotional toll of a panic attack, highlighting the speaker’s sense of helplessness and vulnerability.