# A Sparrer; Asparagus explained — How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers and Other Woodcuts

> Chapter companion for How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers and Other Woodcuts by Robert Williams Wood.

## What happens

The chapter contrasts the fall of a sparrow with the rooted stability of asparagus, humorously noting that asparagus never falls because it spends its life in the bed.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Absurdity

The absurd comparison between a falling sparrow and a stationary asparagus creates a playful, whimsical tone.

### Wordplay and Homophones

The title plays on 'sparrow' and 'sparrer' (a dialectal variant), and the text puns on 'asparagus' and 'sparagus bed'.

## Character check-ins

### the Birds

The sparrow is mentioned as a bird that falls.

## Key lines

> Of the fall of the Sparrow we often have heard, And I’ve here represented the fall of the bird: In the case of Asparagus though, I may mention, A fall such as this, is quite out of the question: For observe that Asparagus, fat and well fed, Spends all of his time in the ’sparagus bed.

We've all heard about a sparrow falling, and I've drawn that here. But asparagus never falls—it stays put in its garden bed, well-fed and content.

_The paraphrase clarifies the contrast between the sparrow's fall and the asparagus's stationary life._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se/chapters/a-sparrer-asparagus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/how_to_tell_the_birds_from_the_flowers_and_other_se/chapters