William Stafford Ask Me

In “Ask Me” by William Stafford, Stafford uses tone,idiom, and symbolism to explain why thought his life was like a river. William Stafford uses the river to help him be able to answer any questions people might have for him. William Stafford uses tone to show how he thought his life was like a river. Stafford says, “Some time when the river is ice ask me mistakes I have made. Ask me whether what I have done is my life” (Stafford 1-3). With this being said, he is being honest and calm. William Stafford does not present himself with an angry mood throughout his poem. He is simply saying to ask him about the mistakes he has made; he is willing to be open and explain all of the things he has done in his lifetime. Stafford keeps a positive tone and he is at peace with all the choices he made. He just goes with the flow, just like
While doing so, he went through several events in his life to make him the person he was. In his poem “Ask Me” it can be understood as a reflection of his course; how it was like a river during these times. The nature of life also plays an important role in the poem as well. He does not have any regrets with the decisions in his life. William Stafford was at peace with himself. In the poem he knows that there are questions for him, and he is willing to answer. He just needed some time to adjust himself for whatever came his way. William puts himself as an example of a river and a natural force of nature; like a river and it’s current, there is a flow and it will continue for a long period of time. To him, there are more to our lives. “He is reacting to the river; in that reaction he discovers someone important to himself; and now he’s fashioning the structure of the piece so it is even clearer to himself and to his reader” (Cool Plums). He knows the mistakes that he has made, but does not regret any of the decisions he