I don't understand Norman Silver's poem "The Pigeon." How can a pigeon's father be standing outside his house waiting for a train?

Your question refers to some of the figurative language that is used in this poem. The poem is about humans rather than actual pigeons, but the poet uses the word "pigeon" in his description of the child in order to make us think of the child in a particular way. For example, if we try to imagine a real pigeon in our minds, we probably visualize a small, grey bird. Often times people consider pigeons...

Your question refers to some of the figurative language that is used in this poem. The poem is about humans rather than actual pigeons, but the poet uses the word "pigeon" in his description of the child in order to make us think of the child in a particular way. For example, if we try to imagine a real pigeon in our minds, we probably visualize a small, grey bird. Often times people consider pigeons to be pests that are underfoot all the time. If the child in the poem is being made to feel like a pigeon, then perhaps the poet is trying to say that he feels small and like people just want him to get out of their way. The color of a pigeon may also be meaningful here. Grey is gloomy and dull, and so is the situation of a child whose father is "leaving" under the circumstances in the poem. The line about being "Perched on a high ledge" also brings to mind some thoughts about how the child feels. Perching is not the most stable way of sitting somewhere, and a high ledge would probably be a frightening place for a child to be. These descriptions paint a rather sad picture overall.

As the father leaves with his "tormented suitcase", the human child is left behind. Perhaps this scene describes a father leaving, but perhaps it may even hold a deeper meaning if it is considered to represent the relationship of the child to his father. The "attic room" the child sits in may be his mind, and the father's departure may represent a disconnect in their relationship. Poetry is often subjective, so your interpretation of it may depend on how you look at what the poet has described. After considering that the speaker of the poem is not really a bird, you can begin to examine what he is thinking and feeling in his self-description of being pigeon-like.