“Barn Owl” (1969) is the first part of a two-part poem (a “diptych”) by Gwen Harwood, called “Father and Child.” As the name of the diptych indicates, “Father and Child” explores the relationship between a child and her father. In “Barn Owl,” the young speaker decides to defy her parents by sneaking out of her home and shooting an owl, but is horrified by the reality of its gruesome death. The companion poem, “Nightfall," forms a contrast with this focus on the child’s desire for independence by depicting the impending death of her father and the horror she feels upon losing him. Together, “Barn Owl” and “Nightfall” explore the conflicting needs of a child for both independence from their parents and for comfort or support.
“Barn Owl” is a poetic bildungsroman—a story about the protagonist’s journey from childhood to adulthood. It focuses on a formative and traumatic moment when a child performs an action that is both new and dangerous: shooting a gun at an innocent animal. While the child starts the poem feeling confident and even excited about their plan to shoot the owl, she ends the poem devastated by what she has done and seeking comfort from her father. The poem uses first-person narration to put the reader in the shoes of the young speaker and possibly cause the reader to reflect on her own transition from an innocent child to a more aware adult. While the violent and visceral subject matter may not be relatable to all, the underlying theme of growing up and gaining more comprehension about the world is universal.
"Barn Owl" was published in 1969 in the Australian Poetry anthology and in the magazine Quadrant. It has since appeared in a wide variety of literary journals. Along with other Gwen Harwood poems, "Barn Owl" is often studied in Australian and British schools for its use of literary techniques.
