Woodchucks - Maxine Kumin v. Traveling through the Dark - William Stafford

-Both poems deal with the death of animals; however, their tones differ. "Woodchucks" has a much more harsh tone, whereas "Traveling through the Dark" has much more soft and compassionate tone towards the dead doe. In "Woodchuks," the narrator is very violent towards the animals. He is only concerned with getting rid of them by killing them. "Gassing the woodchucks didn't turn out right." The poems attempts to show how cruel humanity can be, and how little humanity cares for nature. In "Traveling through the Dark," the narrator gets the dear of the road because he wants to prevent other doe's from dying. "It is usually best to roll them into the canyon: that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead." The narrator has a closer connection with nature and cares for nature. These poems contrast in views of how humanity views and cares for nature.