Traveling Through the Dark

In William Stafford's "Traveling Through the Dark", the speaker reaches a dilemma. Does he toss the dead doe, swollen with a still alive unborn fawn, into the canyon? Does he leave the 'heap' on the side of the road, because he hasn't the heart to throw an unborn fawn to its death? Or does he take more of his own time, to figure out someway to save it?

When he sees the dead dear on the of the road, he pulls over to get rid of the dear so that no other cars must swerve for its body, which could potentially cause more deaths. This shows that the speaker is a considerate person. However, he seems disturbed by the idea of 'swerving', which shows that although considerate, he doesn't enjoy throwing himself off track in mercy or attempt to save something else. When he pauses, to give the dilemma more thought, he refers to the moment of reflection as his 'only swerving', before tossing the carcass into the canyon. It was the only time he spent 'swerving' or avoiding his original goal; throw the deer off the road. As 'swerving' can 'cause more deaths' and is referred to negatively else where in the poem, it seems that is speaker is proud that the pause was his only 'swerving' but disappointed he swerved at all.

This poem is made of up contrasting imagery: descriptions of the narrow canyon road, the dead doe carcass, the warmth of its living fawn, and the mechanical car in idle. Perhaps the dark, narrow road is symbolic of the narrow passage of life that chasing a career can lead you too. The death-like canyon representing the consequences of 'swerving' from that path. The dead deer; the humanity, pity, mercy that can still exist inside a man driven for corporate power. The car, which is given animal like qualities such as 'purring', is perhaps commenting on the confusion between living and 'artificially life', mechanical life; quality of life vs. corporate success. In the end, the speaker choses to return to his vehicle, after only a slight 'swerve'.

As far as structure of the poem goes, there is some rhyming scheme in place. The end words of the second and fourth lines of each stanzas are slightly similar in sound. 'Road' 'Dead', perhaps reflecting the negative perception of the road by the author. 'Killing' 'Belly', the speaker's dilemma is over killing what lies in the belly of the doe. 'Waiting' 'Hesitated', he hesitated for the fawn. 'Engine' 'Listen', in the end, the speaker listened to the call of 'society', returning to the road. It exists between the first and third lines of the second and third stanzas as well. 'Car' 'Cold', again the connection between the cold hearted nature of the mechanical world, driving along the road towards corporate success. 'Reason --' 'Born' this seems to illuminate the speakers more compassionate side, his 'natural instict', reason, is connected to 'birth', he wants the fawn to be born. Also, the sheer contrast between the end words of the first and third lines of the second stanza, versus those of the third stanza seems to bare some importance. 'Cold' and 'Car' draw from the corporate world, and seem negative in their connection. 'Reason' and 'Born' draw from the natural world, using good reaon, natural instinct, and birth, and seem to be positive in their connection. Finally, the last stanza has only two, giving the impression that it is unfinished. Perhaps this is because the speaker was not completely content with his final decision; still uneasy, unsettled about throwing the unborn fawn over the edge.