Travelling Through the Dark
William Stafford
“Travelling Through the Dark” is a short beautiful poem composed by William
Stafford. The poem is about making decision between two realities of life: efficiency and
responsibility on one hand and emotion and sentiment on the other. So, it is about
dilemma we face in life while making decision. Responsibility is dry and unglamorous
virtue whereas emotion is warmer than responsibility. The poet has tried to present the
idea that decision made on the basis of responsibility and efficiency is always the best
and practical whereas emotional or sentimental decision is impractical which shows
human weakness. The poem also deals on the relationship between the nature and
human beings and their activities. Because of our own activities we are over exploiting
the nature and travelling towards the dark future.
POEM
The poem has been written in the first person narrative. While the poet is travelling
alone through the dark he sees a dead deer on the edge of Wilson river road. He stops
his car and moves back to see the deer. He later knows that it is a doe and has an
unborn fawn in its belly. Now he shows sympathy to the doe. This is one system of life.
In one system he has sympathy to the dead doe and in the next system: he feels his
responsibility that he has to clear the road throwing the dead doe in the gorges. When
the speaker touches the dead doe, he finds that the doe is pregnant and her fawn is
waiting inside her womb. The fawn is alive. Though it is alive, it will never be born. He
feels his mistake and feels pity on the fawn and becomes sad. He realizes the fate of the
fawn inside the dead doe. He now finds a contrast between the doe and his car. His car
looks life – life where as the doe is cold and stiff. The poet is in dilemma. He thinks
different possible course of actions. The physical action ceases at this point and is
replaced by the mental action. He starts thinking about the suitable way out. He finds
himself in conflict between the practical and the sentimental decision. At last, the
speaker pushes the doe into the gorges and solves the problem. The great tension of
the dead doe and the living but never to be born fawn is now solved. On the other hand
there are efficiency and responsibility and on the other hand there are emotions warmer
than efficiency and responsibility and deeper than good judgment. In this way the poem
gives full justice to both sides of the tension.