19 pages 38 minutes read

Elizabeth Bishop

A Miracle for Breakfast

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1972

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

The Different Meanings of a Miracle

The title of the poem produces one of its primary themes: Miracles. Aside from the title, the word first appears in the simile when the speaker says the breakfast will “be served from a certain balcony / —like kings of old, or like a miracle” (Lines 3-4). Here, the theme of miracles maintains a hierarchy. A miracle occurs after the mention of “kings” and thus, speaks to the power of the miracle. Instead of a throne, the miracle has a balcony. From this high-up position, a miracle for breakfast makes its way down to those with few privileges and resources—people “waiting for coffee and the charitable crumb” (Line 2).

Next, the theme of miracles takes on a transformational quality, as the speaker and others hope the “crumb / would be a loaf each, buttered, by a miracle” (Lines 10-11). The miracle, hypothetically, can turn the tiny crumb into a big loaf of buttered bread due to its supernatural powers. The coffee and roll maintain the potential to become something more than they are when a servant gives the man on the balcony the “makings of a miracle” (Line 15). Yet the anticipated transformation fails. The miracle never arrives; the crowd receives only “one rather hard crumb” (Line 21) and “one drop of coffee” (Line 23).

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 19 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools