The relationship between human beings and animals is always a complex one. In the poems “Travelling through the Dark” by William Stafford and “Woodchucks” by Maxine Kumin, the two writers establish scenes in which the speakers face the death of animals but capture their speakers’ opinions on animal lives from different perspectives. While the gloomy and serious tone in Stafford’s work stands a stark contrast with the light-hearted one in the “Woodchucks” as the speakers’ inner feelings differ, the two poems incorporate the usage of personification to highlight the speakers’ conflicts, in which their relationships with animals are exhibited.
To begin with, Stafford and Kumin uses contrasting tones in the poems to convey their speakers’ different …show more content…
Utilizing a sorrowful tone, the writer reveals the speakers’ growing internal struggle of what to do to the body and his sympathy for the animals as the personal witness of the dreadful “recent killing” opens an alternative choice for him—saving the little deer which is “lay there waiting” miserably. This point is made explicit as the speaker confesses plainly that he “hesitate[s].” Thus, Stafford sheds light on the character’s inner sense of hesitation and compassion with a gloomy tone. Forming a contrast to this, Kumin’s “Woodchucks” presents her speaker’s cruel humor and pleasure of killing by employing a light-hearted and aggressive tone. The tone is achieved by detailing the brutal actions of the speaker: she “drop[s] the mother [woodchuck]” which “flip-flopped in the air and fell” and count “another baby next…one-two-three” with pleasure as if playing an interesting game. This is especially true when the speaker uses the “.22” gun to …show more content…
In “Travelling through the Dark,” the personification of the car stresses the nature of the speaker’s internal conflict. As the car “aim[s] ahead its lowered parking lights; under the hood purred the steady engine,” its aliveness and rumbling form a contrast with the dead, silent creature as if the car is urging the speaker to abandon the deer and move
To begin with, Stafford and Kumin uses contrasting tones in the poems to convey their speakers’ different …show more content…
Utilizing a sorrowful tone, the writer reveals the speakers’ growing internal struggle of what to do to the body and his sympathy for the animals as the personal witness of the dreadful “recent killing” opens an alternative choice for him—saving the little deer which is “lay there waiting” miserably. This point is made explicit as the speaker confesses plainly that he “hesitate[s].” Thus, Stafford sheds light on the character’s inner sense of hesitation and compassion with a gloomy tone. Forming a contrast to this, Kumin’s “Woodchucks” presents her speaker’s cruel humor and pleasure of killing by employing a light-hearted and aggressive tone. The tone is achieved by detailing the brutal actions of the speaker: she “drop[s] the mother [woodchuck]” which “flip-flopped in the air and fell” and count “another baby next…one-two-three” with pleasure as if playing an interesting game. This is especially true when the speaker uses the “.22” gun to …show more content…
In “Travelling through the Dark,” the personification of the car stresses the nature of the speaker’s internal conflict. As the car “aim[s] ahead its lowered parking lights; under the hood purred the steady engine,” its aliveness and rumbling form a contrast with the dead, silent creature as if the car is urging the speaker to abandon the deer and move