William E. Stafford's Traveling Through The Dark

Have you ever experienced a moment where no one is around and you could easily turn your back and walk away if you wanted to? “Traveling through the Dark” written by American writer, William E. Stafford, brings that experience to life. Stafford was known as a rebel because he did not always follow the social and literary expectations. Stafford’s poetry often entails “plain talking,” but his messages are very powerful in their meaning. The poem is a four-line stanza, which represents iambic pentameter. Stafford’s intended message for the readers in this piece of literature is to continue to search for the right path, even in the darkest times.

In “Traveling through the Dark,” Stafford uses a language that is easily understood by the audience. He is straight to the point and uses a very nonchalant tone. Throughout the poem, Stafford paints a very vivid picture of a man with a conflicting conscious. He is struggling with the decision of his sense of responsibility to move the dead deer to the side of the road, and his hearts compassion for the unborn fawn.

One of the dominant themes in “Traveling through the Dark,” is “technology versus nature.” Stafford symbolizes the car as technology and the dead deer as nature to help emphasize the theme of

The author is very straight to the point while telling the story, and does not let his feelings get in the way of his decision making. Since the author is approaching the story in this way, the readers get a chance to form their own emotions and paint their own picture of what is going on in the poem. If the narrator had approached the poem in a different way and had been caught up in their own emotions in what choice to make concerning the deer, the readers may have been caught up in the speaker’s emotions, and not have been able to understand the true meaning of “Traveling through the