Traveling Through The Dark Essay, Research Paper

In his verse form, & # 8220 ; Traveling Through the Dark, & # 8221 ; William Stafford presents the reader with the trouble of one adult male? s pick. Immediately, the scene is set, with the driver, who is & # 8220 ; going though the dark & # 8221 ; ( line 1 ) coming upon a late killed cervid. At first, his determination with what to make with the cervid is easy ; he knows he must force it off the border for the safety of other automobilists, but so, a closer scrutiny of the cervid reveals to the adult male new fortunes. His determination is now confusing, and his class of action is ill-defined. Through his usage of metaphor, symbolism, and personification, Stafford alludes to the hard determinations that occur along the route of life, and the effects that are a consequence from those determinations. With the usage of these stylistic devices, William Stafford illuminates decease as a effect of certain determinations.

To exemplify the subject of decease, Stafford presents a metaphor associating the actual route to the route of life. In the first stanza, the route is described ; it is narrow and is called the & # 8220 ; Wilson river Road & # 8221 ; ( line 2 ) . Besides, the reader gets the sense that the route is really dark, and therefore isolated. The merely lighted subdivision of this route is the stretch that the adult male is presently going. Symbolically, this represents the present in the adult male? s life. The route that has already been traveled symbolizes the yesteryear. The adult male is unable to see it because of the darkness ; yet, it is implanted in his memory through his experiences. Furthermore, the adult male literally can non see further in front on this route, merely every bit far as the headlamps will let. Likewise, the hereafter in our lives is yet to be discovered. As one can see, Stafford? s metaphorical description of the route in & # 8220 ; Traveling Through the Dark & # 8221 ; parallels one? s journey along the way of life. In this verse form though, Stafford deals with halting along the way of life, non going along it. The asleep cervid is what forces the adult male to halt along the route, and decease in general is what causes worlds to halt along their way and take clip to do determinations.

One chief manner the subject of decease is illustrated is through symbolism of the cervid, canon, and river. The cervid is a barrier which must be dealt with before the adult male can go on on his journey. He can non merely push decease to the side of the route. Here, the cervid would decompose and fester ; alternatively, as Stafford states in the first stanza, & # 8221 ; it is normally best to turn over them into the canon & # 8221 ; ( line 3 ) . The manner to cover with this job is to fling of it instantly and to non waver at all. Literally, this is true for the safety of other automobilists. Furthermore, it is necessary to cover decently with this job so one can go on on their way in life. The canon, and river at the underside, hence come to typify the deepness of our single psyches ; we push jobs into our psyches, and easy trade with them. By making this, our jobs and decease, may be symbolically washed off.

Another manner the determinations made when halting along the route of life are symbolized is through Stafford? s usage of the dual entendre & # 8220 ;

swerving” ( lines 4, 17 ) . Literally, when explicating why the adult male should travel the cervid, Stafford writes, “to swerve [ in a auto ] might do more dead” ( line 4 ) . This besides refers to a swerving in opinion. If the adult male makes a swerving in his determination, it has effects, and may do jobs, or possibly even decease. The 2nd clip Stafford uses “swerve, ” it is much more evident that he is mentioning to opinion. He says, “I thought hard for us all? my lone swerving” ( line 17 ) . Because of the fortunes of the cervid? s decease, viz. that it? s dun is still alive inside it, the adult male? s determination is highly hard, and he hesitates to believe. Stafford marks the importance of these mentions to “swerving” by taging them both with usage of caesura. Through this, Stafford illustrates the importance of this symbolism and of the minute. This is where the character of the adult male is developed. In make up one’s minding what to make with the cervid and its dun, the adult male “ [ hesitates ] beside that mountain route ] ” ( line 12 ] . Here, the reader expects that the adult male will make the baronial thing and somehow save the dun. Rather though, the adult male and Stafford surprise the reader with the adult male? s action of throwing the cervid? s cadaver, along with its unborn dun tragically into the canon. This is his “swerving” which causes decease ( of the dun ) , and adds to Stafford? s subject of how determinations along the route of life may do decease.

During the adult male? s vacillation, Stafford? s personification of the auto and wilderness farther develop the verse form. In the Forth stanza, Stafford describes the factors which influence the adult male during his determination. The unnatural objects in the scene impatiently await the adult male? s return and expediate him along in his decision-making. To demo this, Stafford uses personification of the auto. It & # 8220 ; aimed in front its lowered parking visible radiations & # 8221 ; ( line 13 ) , and & # 8220 ; under the goon purred the steady engine & # 8221 ; ( line 14 ) . Besides, the adult male feels slightly pressured by his auto. He & # 8220 ; [ stands ] in the blaze of the warm fumes turning ruddy & # 8221 ; ( line 15 ) . The auto does non care about the trouble in this determination ; it wants to maintain traveling. In this manner, the auto symbolizes our interior thrust to come on in life and acquire in front on the route of life. Much like the auto, the wilderness is personified as good. But, it does non hotfoot the adult male in his determination. Rather, it waits, and the adult male can & # 8220 ; hear the wilderness listen & # 8221 ; ( line 16 ) . Now, the adult male must do his determination, taking into history all factors. This personification adds to the development of the verse form, and illustrates how we are all influenced in our determinations.

Through his account and description throughout this verse form, Stafford creates the image of the route of life and illustrates how the determinations we make are all interconnected and have effects. & # 8220 ; Traveling Through the Dark & # 8221 ; reveals the trouble in life, and the trouble in properly covering with jobs that of course occur as one progresses along the way of life. The biggest barrier that can happen along this patterned advance is decease, which must be decently dealt with, as William Stafford proves by manner of his utilizations of metaphor, symbolism, and personification.

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