# CLXXIV explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A brief observation on the artless woman, identifiable by her gown trimmed with feathers of the white blackbird, suggesting a paradox or impossibility.

## Key lines

> The artless woman may be known by her costume: her gown is trimmed with feathers of the white blackbird.

A woman lacking artifice can be recognized by her clothing, which is adorned with feathers from a mythical or impossible bird.

_The 'white blackbird' is a symbol of something that does not exist, highlighting the irony in identifying artlessness through an impossible marker._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/clxxiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters