Anecdote of the Jar

One sentence paraphrase: I set a jar in the wilderness, and the wilderness attempted to consume the jar, but the jar defied the wilderness.
Paragraph paraphrase: I set a jar on a hill in Tennessee. The jar's presence caused the wilderness to surround it. The wilderness engulfed the jar as if it had an organized plan. The jar holds steadfast, as if in quiet defiance. The wilderness continues its assault on the jar, and wears it down. Despite this, the jar never fully gives in to nature, and remains a seperate and unique entity.
Close reading: "It did not give of bird or bush"
The first thing that strikes me about this line, is the fact that the subject, 'it', refers to the jar. The jar is carrying out an action in this line. The next three words, 'did not give', is what the jar is doing. The jar is opposing some sort of force, and is refusing to give into it. The last three words, 'bird or bush', is what the jar is opposing. So, in this line, the jar is actively refusing to give into either 'bird or bush'. Taken literally, this doesn't really make sense. A jar, an inatimate object, could not possibly oppose living organisms, birds or bushes. This likely means that this line is metaphoric or symbolic. Looking at the poem as a whole, a possible meaning for this line emerges. Throughout the poem, there is a subtle struggle, or argument, between the jar and the wilderness. The wilderness confronts the jar in line 5: 'The wilderness rose up to it'. Although the jar does not make any indication that it will actively participate in a confrontation with the wilderness in this stanza, it does show that it has a certain level of strength and possibly defiance in line 8: 'And tall and of a port in air.' This line demonstrates that the jar has a certain level of strength. I say this because of the words 'tall' and 'port'. These words represent sturdiness and a cetain level of strength. Because of this suble indication that the jar has strength and could possibly defy the confrontation instigated by the wilderness, I believe that 'bird or bush' symbolizes wilderness in line 11. This brings us to the symbol of the jar. I believe that the jar is meant to symbolize man-made structures that encroach upon nature. Although, I suppose it could also symbolize mankind itself. In either case, it is clear that this force, the one represented by the jar, forces a stalemate with nature in line 11. Throughout the poem, the argument between the jar and the wilderness progresses. The wilderness is the dominant force up until line 11. Because the jar 'did not give of bird or bush', the argument goes unresolved. The jar refuses to be taken over by the wilderness, and, for better or worse, both sides remain seperate and defiant of each other.