"Traveling through the Dark" is a poem by William Stafford that explores the theme of human intervention in the natural world. The poem is structured as a narrative, with the speaker recounting a specific incident in which they come across a deer that has been hit by a car on the side of the road.
In the first line of the poem, the speaker describes the setting as "dark" and "dense," conveying a sense of foreboding and uncertainty. This darkness serves as a metaphor for the unknown and the unpredictable nature of life.
The speaker then goes on to describe the deer, saying that it "lay there in the edge of the road." The use of the verb "lay" suggests that the deer is lifeless and passive, a victim of the reckless actions of humans. The phrase "edge of the road" also serves as a metaphor for the thin line between life and death, as the deer is literally on the edge of the road and figuratively on the edge of life and death.
In the next line, the speaker describes the deer's "graceful neck," which stands in contrast to the violent circumstances of its death. This contrast highlights the tragedy of the situation and the senseless loss of life.
The speaker then describes their own actions, saying that they "stopped the car a few feet away." This line suggests that the speaker is hesitant to get too close to the deer, possibly out of respect or a sense of sadness.
In the following lines, the speaker grapples with the decision of what to do with the deer. They consider leaving it where it is, but ultimately decide to "roll the deer over" and push it off the road. This decision represents the speaker's sense of responsibility to take action and intervene in the natural world, even though it may be difficult or unpleasant.
The final lines of the poem describe the speaker's emotions as they perform this task. They say that they "felt sad" and "fought off" their own tears. This emotional response suggests that the speaker is deeply affected by the deer's death and the role that humans played in it.
Overall, "Traveling through the Dark" is a thought-provoking poem that explores the theme of human intervention in the natural world. Through vivid imagery and poignant emotional responses, the speaker grapples with the moral and ethical implications of their actions and the consequences of human actions on the natural world.
Traveling Through the Dark Analysis
The attitude towards nature in this scene could be described as ungrateful and ignorant. During the journey the speaker describes death as a person to accompany her during this journey. Dickinson artfully uses symbols such as a child, a field of grain, and a sunset to establish the cycle of life and its different stages. The words don't exactly rhyme, but they share sounds and, in some cases like "ro ad" and "de ad," "ki lling" and "be lly," actually look similar in ways that make a subtle connection between the words. The second is the date of publication online or last modification online. While driving on a narrow road at night, the poem's speaker finds a dead deer and decides to move the body so that it won't cause other drivers to dangerously swerve out of the way. The second is the date of publication online or last modification online.
Analysis Of Traveling Through The Dark
To act rather than to ignore, suggests Stafford—to be a participant rather than merely an observer, because physical situations can provide the context for moral and ethical choices. Yet it is maybe only sure thing in life. Well, if you ask us and thanks oodles for doing that, by the way , we'd tell you that this makes perfect sense in a poem that's trying to cope with the idea of death. Coupled with this is the connection between the human and even mechanical world and the animal world. The deer is no longer a mere carcass, a heap, but a vessel with a life inside it.
Traveling Through the Dark Themes
Despite this exposure Wiesel maintains his devotion to his father. She demonstrates her fear of the wild animals delaying her travels by talking with them and asking them to keep the wild animals out of her path. In the book, a man by the man by the name of Westerberg discusses about how McCandless is not destroying his possessions and journey around the wild because the wild he is suicidal or unintelligent. William Stafford, a famous writer whose work was often described as deceptively simple, wrote poems that often took place on a mountainside, a riverbank, or a roadside—"near an exit". Marlow, the "second" narrator of the framed narrative, embarked upon a spiritual adventure on which he witnessed firsthand the wicked potential in everyone.
Traveling Through The Dark Analysis
There he found a dead body of a female deer. Upon dragging the deer toward a canyon, however, the speaker discovers that she was pregnant at the time of her death—and that her fawn is still alive inside her womb. The Pulitzer Prize play also received four Tony nominations one for best play, two for best actress in the play, and one for best director. Cite this page as follows: "Traveling Through the Dark - Forms and Devices" Critical Guide to Poetry for Students Ed. While he hesitates in stanza 4, he notices the car, which seems animal-like to him as it aims its parking lights and purrs its engine. As Stafford is a man who acts on impulse, he demonstrates the idea that when encountering …show more content… His story illustrates the universal message that all things in nature eventually die, but yet, he also emphasizes the importance of life and the processes that ultimately lead to death. The poem is based on a real incident in Stafford's life.
