In “Traveling Through the Dark,” William E. Stafford opens his poem by establishing the setting of a dead deer on the side of the road, while at the same time setting the tone of something much darker and deeper than the image portrayed. He uses simplicity to make the statement that the main character who is also the speaker, writes a story in which he is traveling in a car and comes across a dead deer, with this simple death, come decisions that he has to make, the biggest one taking a sacrifice, trying to connect with the reader. In fact, he presents the hardship behind deciding with cause and effect, while at the same time allowing one to see the reasoning. When he says, “It is usually best to roll them into the canyon: the road is narrow;
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The road itself is symbolic because the main character makes the choice while on this road. While at first it seems that it is something plain, in actuality it sets the scene and it is because of the road that the character has to make the decision of killing the deer. In the text, “Traveling through the dark I found a deer dead on the edge of the Wilson River road” this phrase not only gives the name of the unknown road but gives a meaning that there will be choices made. The decisions that the main character also makes are due to the road. “That road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead” this statement demonstrates how the road plays into the decisions because if not for the narrowness of the road, the man wouldn’t have to make the choice to kill the baby inside the deer. This poem is similar to the poem, “The Road not taken,” this is because in both poems it is decisions and roads. In both poems the main character chooses the decision in which most people would not take, there are illustrated to be more choices, however, they both choose what is less taken. “ I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference,” this phrase in the other poem can be applied to both poems because, in both cases, they choose a path many wouldn’t take simply because of the baby
The road itself is symbolic because the main character makes the choice while on this road. While at first it seems that it is something plain, in actuality it sets the scene and it is because of the road that the character has to make the decision of killing the deer. In the text, “Traveling through the dark I found a deer dead on the edge of the Wilson River road” this phrase not only gives the name of the unknown road but gives a meaning that there will be choices made. The decisions that the main character also makes are due to the road. “That road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead” this statement demonstrates how the road plays into the decisions because if not for the narrowness of the road, the man wouldn’t have to make the choice to kill the baby inside the deer. This poem is similar to the poem, “The Road not taken,” this is because in both poems it is decisions and roads. In both poems the main character chooses the decision in which most people would not take, there are illustrated to be more choices, however, they both choose what is less taken. “ I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference,” this phrase in the other poem can be applied to both poems because, in both cases, they choose a path many wouldn’t take simply because of the baby