AvNiK
Feb 25, 2010
Book Reports / Essay about the use of diction in William Stafford's "Traveling Through the Dark [3]
I began writing a few paragraphs for this essay and asked my prof. for some advice. Firstly, here is how i started:
In "Traveling Through the Dark," William Stafford's use of descriptive words, and their arrangement, invites the reader to explore the dark interactions between the speaker and the environment. In these interactions, man and modern technology play a negative role against the environment. Also, his use of verbs display man's ruthlessness towards nature, as well as uncertainty when dealing with it.
In the first stanza Stafford uses clever word order to alter the way the reader looks at the early lines of the poem. He writes, "Traveling through the dark I found a deer//dead on the edge of the Wilson River road" (1-2). The word "deer" is mentioned first, which makes the reader believe there is a live deer on the road. However, on the second line "dead" is written informing the reader that the deer has been killed, most likely by the speaker. Stafford's ordering of these words takes the reader from a calm feeling in the first line, to a gloomy feeling in the second.
Another significant line in the first stanza is, "the road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead." (4). The verb "swerve" is significant because it shows a lack of control, as if the driver was caught off guard. As human beings we do not like to be at fault, and the driver swerving out of the way depicts that he was not paying attention and the death of the deer is on his hands. Stafford also uses an example of alliteration on the same line with the words "might make more". Alliteration is very direct and straight, but in this poem it is linked with swerving and more death. In my opinion Stafford is saying that if the driver was to leave the deer and continue straight down his path, it could lead to the death of others who follow behind him.
He told me it was interesting but I needed a more specific thesis, and that my topic sentences were weak (need to use very specific evidence in the paragraphs as well). Also, I need to add more literary devices in my analysis. Any ideas or tips that I could use? Thanks
PS- link for the poem >>>>eliteskills.com/c/12824
I began writing a few paragraphs for this essay and asked my prof. for some advice. Firstly, here is how i started:
In "Traveling Through the Dark," William Stafford's use of descriptive words, and their arrangement, invites the reader to explore the dark interactions between the speaker and the environment. In these interactions, man and modern technology play a negative role against the environment. Also, his use of verbs display man's ruthlessness towards nature, as well as uncertainty when dealing with it.
In the first stanza Stafford uses clever word order to alter the way the reader looks at the early lines of the poem. He writes, "Traveling through the dark I found a deer//dead on the edge of the Wilson River road" (1-2). The word "deer" is mentioned first, which makes the reader believe there is a live deer on the road. However, on the second line "dead" is written informing the reader that the deer has been killed, most likely by the speaker. Stafford's ordering of these words takes the reader from a calm feeling in the first line, to a gloomy feeling in the second.
Another significant line in the first stanza is, "the road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead." (4). The verb "swerve" is significant because it shows a lack of control, as if the driver was caught off guard. As human beings we do not like to be at fault, and the driver swerving out of the way depicts that he was not paying attention and the death of the deer is on his hands. Stafford also uses an example of alliteration on the same line with the words "might make more". Alliteration is very direct and straight, but in this poem it is linked with swerving and more death. In my opinion Stafford is saying that if the driver was to leave the deer and continue straight down his path, it could lead to the death of others who follow behind him.
He told me it was interesting but I needed a more specific thesis, and that my topic sentences were weak (need to use very specific evidence in the paragraphs as well). Also, I need to add more literary devices in my analysis. Any ideas or tips that I could use? Thanks
PS- link for the poem >>>>eliteskills.com/c/12824