More importantly, it also reveals the situations immediate decisions and actions are signifiers of morally justified choice. In the poem, the speaker did not ignore the situation and decided to act immediately under moral and ethical decisions. The poet has personified the car in line 13 which ‘aimed ahead’ as if the car was waiting eagerly for the poet’s decision of pushing the doe into the river. The engine too was making a purr sound as if it was expressing its contentment and enjoying the moment. The color red surely suggests the blood of the deceased deer, and the car is symbolic of technology.
- With the help of carefully crafted imagery and setting, the use of alliteration, personification, and metaphors, and a peculiar rhythmic pattern, the poet presents the picture of desperate hesitation.
- The first line could be read as iambic pentameter, a traditional steady rhythm combined with simple, direct language.
- Once we see what in front of us we must decide, whether or not what we see is what we had planned.
- He pauses his traveling through darkness – his typical not noticing — for a thoughtful contemplation that he has been forced into by circumstances.
- And the exhust turning red as it passes the tailights not only is a beutiful image but it signifies the doe’s blood.
- “Under the hood purred the steady engine./I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red;” The animal is bleeding, dying slowing, the car purring, the blood spreading.
The driver did think hard for a floors castle opening times while but he also uses the words never to be born. His mind was made up from the word go, there was no decision in it and in the end he did push the deer and the fawn over the edge of the road. He thought about it so that if ever in the future he felt sorrow or guilt for the fawn he could say to himself at least I thought about it.
Stanza Two
Once we see what in front of us we must decide, whether or not what we see is what we had planned. Our decisions have consequences and in this case a choice was made to prevent pain and suffering to others. It is knowledge that if the deer is not moved others will be moved from the road to and with that knowledge a decision is made and the consequential death of the unborn doe occurs. We see whats in front of us and we react and in following are the consequences. In the poem, Stafford does not only reflect on moral dilemmas and significance of human resolute actions and participation but on a person’s moral duty to preserve life.
Humanity Vs Nature
When one sees that the narrator “found a deer” , it is highly unlikely that such a continuation of the poem without any comma or full stop can be predicted. The contrast completely with William Stafford “Traveling Through the Dark” where even if a stranger is killed; the perpetrator knows what he has to do and how he takes a decision when the events occurred. Although making the right choices in life is not always easy. The literary works of Robert Frost’s “The Road not Taken” and William Stafford’s “Traveling through the Dark” are about making life decisions and the lessons learned as we travel though life’s journey. The poem is a metaphorical disclosure of the necessity to take immediate actions rather than observe. Hence, the poet discloses a person’s attitude to the essence of morale and its importance while making tough choices .
Despite this, the poem does have a kind of visual unity. The lines appear to be the same length, although they vary in the number of words and syllables they contain. Traveling through the dark is a journey in ark made by the poet. It is a real journey made by mankind in dark or in ignorance with mistakes killing innocent animals.
Shri Krishna Janmashtami And Life Lessons From Lord Krishnas Avatar
These are events that happened and that he’s now describing. He thought “hard for us all” in that moment and then continued with his original plan and pushed her over the edge into the river. He states this clearly and without further hesitation. Rather than spending time considering what he’s done, the poem ends there without further elaboration.
Experts In Poetry
While he was known for his generally accepting attitude and conformist views he still thought for himself when things became important. For example he was a conscientious objector during World War Two. Literally, we may say that poet favors the efficiency but in fact he favors the emotions and he can never ever forget the feelings he felt about he baby deer. So he does full justice to sides, the emotion and the efficiency.