‘Instructor’s Name’
Compare and Contrast Poetry
The poems discussed in this essay were written by two modern greats, who were among the most acclaimed poets of the modern English literature – Emily Dickinson and William E. Stafford. Though they both belonged to different centuries there are some notable similarities in their work. Both of them were unconventional, and they ironically shaped American poetry by abandoning its traditional styles and trends. In fact Dickinson’s works, sadly, got its due credit only after her demise. This essay is aimed at comparing and analyzing two of their notable works, namely, ‘Because I Could Not Stop for Death’ by Dickinson and ‘Traveling through the Dark’ by Stafford.
The obvious similarity between both the poems is the theme – death. But the poets’ treatment of this theme varies widely. Dickinson treats death as a companion. A companion with whom, she shares a carriage ride, and together they explore grain fields, a school where children are playing, and the sunset. And she (or the narrator) goes with him smiling, into a life of eternity. Stafford depicts the theme of death through a road kill. The narrator, who is driving his car, encounters a dead deer in a road bend. He tries to drag the deer away from the road, so that she does not cause any incidents. But then he realizes there is a fawn inside her, which is still alive, and now he is faced with a dilemma. In the end he does throw the deer into the canyon and continues his journey through the dark.
The structure of these poems varies widely. ‘Traveling through the Dark’ is a poem which does not follow any particular pattern and is a free verse. It is written as a narrative poem, whereby the poet narrates a scene or a story with an ending. In a free verse poem, a poet makes his own pattern and does not adhere to any prescribed meter or rhythm. There are one or two internal rhymes (under the hood purred the steady engine. I stood in the glare (Stafford, 1962)) and assonances sprinkled throughout this poem, but it does not follow any specific rhythmic style. On the other hand, the poem ‘Because I could not stop for death’ has six quatrains out of which four has end rhymes, and internal rhymes can be found all over the lyrics. The verses are brief and her elocution is brief, which enables the poet to offer a power packed rendition of her argument. As with most of Dickinson’s poems the metrical pattern is irregular, as she was someone who rather sets her own mood, rather than stick to the established rules of poetic schematics.
Sometimes the most appropriate method to examine a poem’s handling of a larger subject, is to begin with the individual words of the poem. It is these words that render the poem its exclusivity and grandeur. In every poem, one can shortlist a few words which cannot be replaced with any other synonym, because the poem wouldn’t sound the same without these words, even if the meaning doesn’t alter. In Dickinson’s poem, the words that offer the poem its uniqueness are “kindly”, “no haste”, and “civility”. Since her poem deals with the theme of death itself, and how human beings perceive or should perceive death, these words gain significance. These words put it beyond any doubt that, the narrator views death as a polite friend who is neither aggressive nor intimidating. In Stafford’s poem, the words that give the poem the desired diction are,
“I thought hard for us all--my only swerving--, then pushed her over the edge into the river”. (Stafford, 1962)
Since this entire poem is about conflicts, (between death and birth, and between nature and technology), these final words expertly capture the essence of the poem.
Both poets use imagery to present a vivid picture of their surroundings. Discussing Dickinson’s’ use of imagery in this poem, Alan Tate says
“Every image is precise and, moreover, not merely beautiful, but inextricably fused with the central idea”. (Tate, 1936)
While Dickinson takes refuge in nature describing the green fields, and happy faces of the children, Stafford describes the entwined scenery of nature and the manmade structures. Both of them present a crucial moment of a hesitation or paucity in the narration, which signifies the self reflection of the narrator. Dickinson says
The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown—My Tippet—only Tulle— (Dickinson, 1863)
Here the free flowing happy rendition of the poet experiences a moment of pause, to highlight the, sudden chill the thought of death gives her. In the same way, Stafford makes a mention of the hesitation of the narrator, when he discovers the live fawn in the doe’s swollen belly.
Thus through the use of poetic devices such as imagery, symbolism and verses, both Dickinson and Stafford have given their readers, not just poems to enjoy but also some deep thoughts to reflect upon.
References
- Allen Tate. From Reactionary Essays on Poetry and Ideas. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936, pp. 13-16, 22-25. Print.
- Emily Dickinson (1863). Because I Could Not Stop For Death. Retrieved from <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15395>. Web. Accessed on October 26, 2013.
- Modern American Poetry. On” Travelling through the dark”. 1997. Web. Accessed on October 26, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/stafford/dark.htm
- William E. Stafford. (1962) Travelling Through the Dark. Web. Accessed on October 26, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171495
