Stafford’s Traveling through the Dark and Snodgrass ' Driving Late at Night are the same poem in terms of their overall content, but drastically different in their effect and form. Stafford’s poem, titled Traveling through the Dark, is both dark and ominous. It creates an eerie feeling in the reader. While Snodgrass’, titled Driving Late at Night, attempts to convey the same message, it does not achieve the same feelings due to the lack of detail throughout. The poems both present the story of a man who is driving alongside a mountain at night when he comes across a dead dear. The man decides he best course of action is to push the deer off the side of the road to prevent any accidents since the deer is in the middle of the road and the
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On the other hand. in Snodgrass’s poem he states, “In the darkness I walked back of the car…” This line, when compared to the first, clearly shows the lack of detail and description in Snodgrass’. While Stafford takes the reader on the journey, Snodgrass reports, from a cold …show more content…
Snodgrass’ poem, while admittedly a de-composition, has a complete lack of sensory words or words which would create a mood within the reader. Snodgrass presents his facts as if a impassive reporter. He provides facts, no emotion, and no heart for the reader the latch on to. Snodgrass’ poem might as well find its way onto the evening news. On the other hand, Traveling Through the Dark provides the reader with finite details for the reader to latch on to. When Stafford states, “My fingers touching her side brought me the reason—her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting, alive, still, never to be born” the reader feels the fur, feels the warmth, and senses the life within her. He goes on, “I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red.” The reader, having the previous experience of standing behind a car, knowing the exhaust is warm, and seeing the red brake lights in the past, can feel as if they are standing beside our poet, feeling the hesitation, knowing why they are simply standing and not moving. These vignettes created by Stafford allow the reader to experience the dark, mournful, and regretful mood created by the poet through the actions of the
On the other hand. in Snodgrass’s poem he states, “In the darkness I walked back of the car…” This line, when compared to the first, clearly shows the lack of detail and description in Snodgrass’. While Stafford takes the reader on the journey, Snodgrass reports, from a cold …show more content…
Snodgrass’ poem, while admittedly a de-composition, has a complete lack of sensory words or words which would create a mood within the reader. Snodgrass presents his facts as if a impassive reporter. He provides facts, no emotion, and no heart for the reader the latch on to. Snodgrass’ poem might as well find its way onto the evening news. On the other hand, Traveling Through the Dark provides the reader with finite details for the reader to latch on to. When Stafford states, “My fingers touching her side brought me the reason—her side was warm; her fawn lay there waiting, alive, still, never to be born” the reader feels the fur, feels the warmth, and senses the life within her. He goes on, “I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust turning red.” The reader, having the previous experience of standing behind a car, knowing the exhaust is warm, and seeing the red brake lights in the past, can feel as if they are standing beside our poet, feeling the hesitation, knowing why they are simply standing and not moving. These vignettes created by Stafford allow the reader to experience the dark, mournful, and regretful mood created by the poet through the actions of the