The poem “The Juggler” by Richard Wilbur describes the juggling show that the narrator and a crowd of people witness. The narrator is amazed by the way the juggler can juggle balls and balance a table on his toe and a broom and plate on his nose. From the beginning of the poem to the description of the juggling act, there is a change in mood. This change, in turn, also reflects the narrator’s outlook on life due to this encounter with the juggler. The poem begins describing the physical laws of a ball. The narrator tells us that balls bounce “less and less” and then personifies the ball by stating it “hates its own resilience” (Wilbur 1-2). The narrator then compares the balls actions to how we evaluate life over time by saying “the earth …show more content…
By providing the image of the “sky-blue juggler with five red balls” (Wilbur 6), the narrator is able to establish a happier mood due to the description of brighter colors and childhood associated items. The narrator then says that this “shakes [their] gravity up” (Wilbur 7), an implication that a drastic change has occurred. This quote also refers back to the analogy of the ball and our daily patterns. By shaking the gravity, the balls are able to break away from their original pattern, which is something the narrator would like to do as well. The juggler is providing new and brighter colors to the narrator’s life, and a change in scenery is a great way for someone to regroup and regain focus on a topic or a …show more content…
The narrator says, “the balls roll round, wheel on his wheeling hands, learning the ways of lightness, alter to spheres” (Wilbur 8-9). These lines keep the upbeat mood intact, while adding in alliteration to focus the reader’s attention on the jugglers actions. The narrator personifies the balls by giving them the ability to learn, then gives them the ability to change form. The balls are able to change into “spheres”, both of which are similar, however the word “sphere” has a connotation of being something greater than a simple ball. The purpose of giving the balls these abilities is to manifest the idea of change. The balls are able to change from their monotonous pattern of straight up and straight down, to a new and fun circular pattern. Therefore, watching the juggler helps the narrator learn that there is no strict path that leads to a great life; sometimes people just have to innovate and improvise to find meaning in their lives once