Summary
Summary
Short-Questions
1. What is the central idea of the poem "Traveling Through the
Dark"?
2. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza in the poem
"Traveling Through the Dark".
3. Do you agree with what the narrator did? Why?
Long Question
1. Write an essay on “travelling in the dark through the dense forest”.
Or, Write a short essay on
‘Driving in the Dark’.
5. Traveling Through the Dark
William Stafford
Characters
Speaker : driver, poet
Deer : died having fawn
Wilson River : where the deer killed
Theme: Life is both optimistic and pessimistic, so we must accept the reality.
Summary
“Traveling Through the Dark” is an ironical and sentimental poem composed by William Stafford. In this poem, the poet presents a great tension between two realities, two systems of life. On one hand, we think and say that we have to fulfill our responsibility. On the other hand, there are emotions warmer) than responsibility and deeper than good judgments. The poet treats equally to the both sides of the conflict.
In this poem, the poet describes how he is moved by the death of pregnant doe. The poem is split into five stanzas. In the first stanza, the poet is driving along the mountain road at night. Suddenly, he sees a deer lying dead on the edge of the Wilson River road. He thinks to remove it from then narrow road. In the second stanza, the speaker stops his car and goes near the deer. He finds that it is a pregnant doe which is recently killed. Her body is already stiff, almost cold. He drags the doe off. In the third stanza, the poet thinks seriously about the fate of the fawn still living and waiting to be born in the womb of the dead doe (female deer). The poet is filled with pity as it is impossible for the fawn to be born. For some time, the poet hesitates to do anything. In the fourth stanza, the poet describes the engine of his car. The warm and living engine contrasts with the cold and dead doe. In the final stanza, the poet solves the problem or tension by pushing the doe over the edge into the river.
The poem is ironical and suggestive. The irony is directed towards those nature lovers who drive carelessly and put the life of innocent animals in danger. Though they show pity to the unborn fawn, they have no sympathy for the dead doe. The reference to the fate of alive but never-to-be born fawn makes the readers very sad and sentimental.
In short:
In the poem "Traveling Through the Dark" the poet describes his journey at night, his experience and his activities at that night. When he was driving along the Wilson River road, he saw a dead doe lying on the road. The road was narrow. So, it was difficult to drive there, and he got off from the car to clear the road. But he saw the doe's large belly having a living fawn in it. Then he began to think about the future of the unborn baby which was waiting for its birth. After sometime the poet found only one solution that was to roll her off into the river and go ahead. He did so and continued his journey.
Short-Questions
1. What is the central idea of the poem "Traveling Through the
Dark"?
The central idea of the poem is that man kills the animals and immediately shows pity on them. It is ironical. Everyone make good decision to make the environment clean, the narrator of this poem finds a living fawn inside a dead doe, though, the narrator decides to push the doe into the river.
2. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza in the poem
"Traveling Through the Dark".
In the first stanza, the poet sees a dead deer on the road. He stops his car and gets it off. In the second stanza, he finds that it was a dead doe. He thinks to avoid her from the road. In the third stanza, he touches her side; he finds a living fawn in her womb. In the fourth stanza, he thinks deeply about the unborn fawn. At last; in the fifth stanza, he thinks his duty to clear the road. So, he pushes her into the river.
3. Do you agree with what the narrator did? Why?
Yes, I agree with what the narrator did. In this poem, the reference to the alive but never-to-be-born fawn is quite sentimental. So the narrator had two alternatives to save the living fawn inside the womb of the dead doe and to clean the environment pushing down the dead doe into the river. He wisely decided to push the doe into the river because it is beyond his power to save the fawn.
4. Why do you think the reference to the alive but never –to-be-born
fawn sentimental?
Long Question
1. Write an essay on “travelling in the dark through the dense forest”.
Or, Write a short essay on
‘Driving in the Dark’.
Driving in the dark can be a great fun. It is an adventurous and entertaining work. It is very risky if the driver is not skilled. It is very dangerous in the sense that nobody helps you if you met an accident.
The joy or pleasure of driving depends on time and the size of the road. There are far less vehicles at night. Night is the proper time for those who love driving at the fastest. Driving in the dark is free because there is nothing on the way. You can drive at any speed you like because there is no obstacle on the highway. You should be very careful especially at the bends. Driving becomes more fun and enjoyable if you are driving along long a wide, black well-pitched road. If you are on the mountain, you will feel afraid especially at the bending. If you prefer driving slowly, you can enjoy the cool breeze kissing you softly. You can see the twinkling stars above, if it is a clear dark night. You have no much fear of colliding with other vehicles at night because headlights are clearly visible from miles away. If you are driving in the jungle you will see a lot of wild animals. You may hear the night sounds of birds and insects and some wild animals. If you are a nature lover you’ll never feel disturbed. If you see a small animal in front, you won’t swerve (turn sharply), because your vehicle might meet with an accident. The more speed it has the bigger accident it becomes, that is the time you have to be careful.
The road is freer than so people met an accident more than day time due to the speed. We should be more careful about this. We don’t have had any chance to regret. I wish nobody have to wish for it.
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