Analysis of William Stafford's poem "Traveling Through The Dark"

Essay by katelyn420University, Bachelor's February 2005

download word file, 2 pages 4.5

Downloaded 52 times

"Traveling Through the Dark" by: William Stafford<

The speaker in the poem must reflect on what to do about the dead does, he knows that in order to keep other ppl from hitting her & getting into an accident he must push her into the canyon, but the still alive foal weighs on his conscience. The speaker has to search his mind in order to reconcile the necessity of his actions w/ the harm that he have caused or will cause to others.

* The Theme of Man's disregard for nature & nature vs. technology:

The title, along w/ the story itself, suggests man's disregard for nature. Humans seem to travel through life like a horse w/ blinders on, oblivious to the consequences or implications of their actions. The driver who killed the deer is an example of this theme. The message that this poem seems to bring is of the age-old conflict tween nature & technology.

This becomes apparent when Stafford brings in the part about the car. The reader understands that the car symbolizes man's world, technology. Obvious too, is the deer symbolizing nature. The fact that a car killed the deer is perhaps his message...that technology will eventually triumph over nature.

* Man's Solitary Struggle to Deal w/ a Tragic Event:

It is the story of a man's solitary struggle to deal w/ a tragic event that he encounters. The main theme of the poem however, is the sadness & misfortune that accompany us on our journey through life. The Wilson River Road, in which the events of the poem take place, is symbolic of the road of life that we all travel upon. In his moment of decision, though, the only company the narrator had was the silent & unheeding world around him. Unfortunately, many...