The Groundhog Essay, Research Paper

The Groundhog

In Richard Eberhart s poem The Groundhog, the talker analyzes the decease of a woodchuck. The woodchuck, described as lying dead and maggots eating off at its flesh, is used by the talker to demo an apprehension of life. Through the metabolism of the dead woodchuck, the talker portrays decease and its inhuman treatment. The talker, one time filled with felicity, transforms into a province of unhappiness as he observes the decay of the woodchuck. By utilizing metaphors, similes and personification, the talker perceives the slow and scaring decease of the woodchuck and comes to the realisation that he will besides decease one twenty-four hours. The woodchuck represents the fact that persons can non get away decease and that we portion the same destiny as the woodchuck. The talker distinguishes the fact that one twenty-four hours everyone, excessively, will decease and learns that we are all in the same place as the woodchuck.

The talker presents the verse form by depicting the aureate Fieldss of June to put a visible radiation, happy contrast of what can be seen in the woodchuck. However, as the talker displacements to his find of the dead woodchuck, he discovers the significance of the decease. The talker describes the decease as a bare infirmity because when we are bare, we are vulnerable, exposed, like the woodchuck to the effects of decease. The talker so describes the vigorous summer to contrast the life and energy with the decay of the woodchuck. As maggots consume the organic structure of the woodchuck, it changes the talker and causes his senses to hesitate dim. The metaphor of the huming caldron is used to demo an image of the wrestling motion of the maggots as they eat their manner through the groundhog s dead organic structure. Slowly the talker becomes cognizant of the significance of the woodchuck.

The talker, who portions a unusual love with the dead animate being, possesses an esteem for the woodchuck because he has recognized that they both portion the same

destiny, decease. By jabing him with an angry stick, the talker personifies the inanity of decease and takes his dissatisfactory find of life out on the dead animate being. The talker describes his feelings as a sunless shaking, contrasting his old sentence of immense energy, to portray the dark unhappiness which he feels. He learns that decease will besides devour his ain organic structure and he tries to accept this fact. As he is praying for joy in the sight of decease, he comes to the apprehension that he portions the same hereafter as the dead woodchuck and can make nil to halt this from go oning.

Switching to a ulterior clip in Autumn, the talker strict of oculus describes the woodchuck s organic structure as the sap gone out. All life has left the woodchuck, and as it is eaten off, the castanetss begin to lodge out through the rotten organic structure. The talker personifies the rational ironss to demo how he is imprisoned by his ideas at understanding decease. By being mured up in the wall of wisdom, he has concluded that decease will devour him, go forthing him lifeless besides one twenty-four hours. The talker uses similes such every bit beautiful as architecture and like a geometrician to show the perceptual experiences of the talker. The talker has now acquired a shriveled bosom with the sight of the woodchuck, dead and rotten forever. The storyteller s bosom, one time full of life and felicity, has shrunk with the cognition he has gained about decease. Ending with an allusion to China and Greece every bit good as Alexander in his collapsible shelter, his wild plaint expresses the heartache upon his find of life, for he portions the same destiny as the rotten woodchuck.

In Richard Eberhart s poem The Groundhog, we as readers notice that decease portions a common bond with all persons. Like the woodchuck, we excessively will disintegrate and portion the same effects as the woodchuck. In the talker s work, we come to the realisation that life is filled with decease and that we must accept this on-going happening to progress ourselves.