Traveling Through the Dark -The Heritage of Words - Question n answer

Traveling Through the Dark

William Stafford

Theme:

“Traveling through the Dark” composed by William Stafford presents the dark aspect of human mind, which is the selfish nature of people. This poem shows the tension between two realities, two systems of life: on the one hand there is responsibility in our life; on the other hand there is the emotional side of life. When a man remembers his duty of responsibility, he forgets the emotional side of life and he becomes cruel and selfish. The dilemma between two realities is shown in this poem. The speaker has done justice to the both sides of his life. He has shown sympathy to the fawn and he has fulfilled his responsibility to clear the road.

Summary:
It was dark and the poet was traveling along the road by Wilson River. On the way, he saw a dead deer. He thought it would be better if he threw the deer into canyon because the road was very narrow and his returning would cause more deaths. Thinking of throwing, he got down from his car. And he went towards the deer. While the deer. While he dragged for the purpose of throwing, he saw that she was pregnant. This reality forced him to tough the deer’s side. He felt warmth and knew that her fawn was still alive. Consequently, he found difficulty in deciding. He looked towards his vehicles. It was aiming its parking light ahead, its engine was continuously purring. He stood there and tried to hear the sound of his friends coming but he could not. He thought for longer about himself and about his friends. He thought at returning also. But, at last, he pushed the deer into the river.

Interpretation

“Traveling Through the Dark

William Stafford

          “Traveling through the Dark” composed by William Stafford presents the dark aspect of human mind that is the selfish nature of people. This poem shows the tension between two realities, two systems of life: on the one hand there is responsibility in our life; on the other hand there is the emotional side of life. When a man remembers his duty of responsibility, he forgets the emotional side of life and he becomes cruel and selfish. The dilemma between two realities is shown in this poem. The speaker has done justice to the both sides of his life. He has shown sympathy to the fawn and he has fulfilled his responsibility to clear the road.  

In this poem, the poet describes how he is moved by the death of pregnant doe. It was dark and the poet was traveling along the road by Wilson River. On the way, he saw a dead deer. He thought it would be better if he threw the deer into canyon because the road was very narrow and his returning would cause more deaths. Thinking of throwing, he got down from his car. And he went towards the deer. While the deer. While he dragged for the purpose of throwing, he saw that she was pregnant. This reality forced him to tough the deer’s side. He felt warmth and knew that her fawn was still alive. Consequently, he found difficulty in deciding. He looked towards his vehicles. It was aiming its parking light ahead, its engine was continuously purring. He stood there and tried to hear the sound of his friends coming but he could not. He thought for longer about himself and about his friends. He thought at returning also. But, at last, he pushed the deer into the river. In the final stanza, the poet solves the problem or tension by pushing the doe over the edge into the river.  

The poem is ironical and suggestive. The dilemma of human mind between duty and emotion is presented in the poem. Tough they show pity to the unborn fawn, they have no sympathy for the dead doe. The reference to the fate of alive but never-to-be born fawn makes the readers very sad and sentimental.

Q. Show how the action develops stanza by stanza?

William Stafford’s poem “Traveling though the Dark” presents both physical and mental actions. The first stanza begins with physical action but ends with mental action. Traveling through the dark is physical and thinking of rolling into the canyon is mental. In the second stanza, the speaker stumbles back, goes up to her and drags. All these activities are physical. Hence, second stanza is the description of physical actions. Physical actins of the second stanza continue in the third also. The speaker touches the deer’s side and knows about the presence of offspring inside. This physical action leads to mental action; he hesitates after he knows its condition. Not knowing what to do further, he stands in the glare of red in the third stanza. Here too, like in the second stanza, we find physical actions. The fourth stanza presents both actins like the first one. The speaker thinks of returning, but finds it impractical. So, he pushes the deer into the river.

Q What is the central idea of the poem? [057-3]

          “Traveling through the Dark” composed by William Stafford presents the dark aspect of human mind, that is the selfish nature of people. This poem shows the tension between two realities, two systems of life: on the one hand there is responsibility in our life; on the other hand there is the emotional side of life. When a man remembers his duty of responsibility, he forgets the emotional side of life and he becomes cruel and selfish. The dilemma between two realities is shown in this poem. The speaker has done justice to the both sides of his life. He has shown sympathy to the fawn and he has fulfilled his responsibility to clear the road.  

Q What does the traveler feel when he touches the dead doe?  

Q Do you agree with what the narrator did? Why? [063-3]

= William Stafford's poem "Traveling Through the Dark" examines the killing of a pregnant doe, and the dilemma faced by the speaker who is also a driver. On his way he finds a dead deer on the edge of Wilson River. He stops to drag off the dead deer into the canyon in order to avoid possible accidents. But on touching her side he finds that it is still warm and it contains a fawn waiting to be born. In death the traveler discovers life, but not normal life that emerges from the womb into the world, for the fawn is "never to be born." This unhappy realization causes the traveler to hesitate. His mind is filled with mixed-up emotions: pity, anger, frustration, and confusion about how to act. He even wonders if the fawn can be saved, but knows all along that the fawn can not be born when the mother is dead. The car is mechanically alive and its lights are pointing the speaker towards his destination. In the final couplet the traveler thinks hard for all, he knows that his love and pity towards the fawn can not save it. He knows that his delay is only a waste of time, so he pushes the doe into the river and marches towards his destination.

 

Q. Explain the title of the poem. Who are all those driving through the dark?

= The title of the poem “Traveling Through the Dark” is very suitable one. Traveling, here the poet means the journey of human life. Dark the word means the dark aspect of human mind where there is no love, pity and sympathy. When a man remembers his duty, he forgets the emotional side of life. He becomes so cruel and kindles. This cruel and pitiless aspect of human mind is the dark aspect of human life. When the speaker finds a dead doe on the road, he is in dilemma. He is in confusion either to show deep love and emotion to an unborn but alive fawn in the belly of the doe or to save the passengers on his car as a dutiful driver. After much thoughtful meditation, he pushes the dead doe into the river in order to reach his destination and save the passengers. The ‘darkness’ indicates one of nature's beautiful creatures has been killed and pitilessly left on the road, unburied and unmoored to cause future accidents. The driver's inaction suggests moral darkness. The darkness also suggests the narrator's confusion about what to do with the deer. "Traveling through the dark" also symbolizes the spiritual void of humankind in its insensitivity toward nature.

Q. Do you think the reference to the alive but never to be born fawn sentimental?

            When the poet touches the side of the dead doe; he finds that the fawn is waiting to be born but never to be born because its mother was dead. The references show the emotional and sentimental side of life. The poet shows the pity towards the poor fawn for a while. At last, he remembers his duty and he become so cruel and pushed the doe into the edge of the river

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