After
reading the poem “Slowly” by Donna Masini, it interested me greatly and I
wanted to find another poem with the same aspect of death in order to compare.
I came upon one that is related, but still different in many ways.
“Encounter” by Czeslaw Milosz.
These two writings talk about the
impact of death, but include various points of view.
In “Encounter”,
the narrator mentions of a time when he and someone else who is unknown, were
in a wagon and spotted a hare run across the road as the other person lifted
his hand and pointed at the animal. “That was long ago. Today neither of them
is alive, not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.”
This shows the “man” is dead and this memory
has stuck with the narrator. “…where are they, where are they going…I ask not
out of sorrow, but in wonder.” Long after this death, he is still wondering
about the man and where he went rather than just being sad.
“Slowly”
on the other hand, describes a memory of a visit to the zoo where a snake
indulges on a rabbit. This symbolism refers to the power and ultimate effect
death can have on a person. “…this grief. How slow the body is to realize. You
are never coming back.” These words in “slowly”
indicate the narrator’s grief over a loved one who has died and is never coming
back. She mentions the word slow which describes the process of getting over
someone’s death.
Throughout “Slowly” and “Encounter”,
both discuss memories from long ago and then the narrators sort of lead the
rest of the poem from these past actions to show their initial feelings. In “Slowly”,
she is mourning over the death of a loved one and “Encounter” includes curiosity
about what happened after the death of a close relative. These aspects are both
relatable to the subject of death and the impacts it brings forth.
Both of
these have contrasting looks at the power of death; the effect of it and what
happens after. Similarly, they each have distinct memories of the past that
remind them of death.
I can note that there are specific and obvious
similarities in both of the poems; there is someone involved who is close to
the narrator; Maybe a Dad or grandfather in “Encounter” and a loved one in “Slowly.”
They also have each experienced death of another in their lifetime. “Slowly” is
more in depth of the feelings she has over her loss and uses the horrid imagery
of a snake slowly devouring a rabbit in its mouth. With “Encounter”, there is a
small yet quiet memory that the narrator remembers of this other person and is
wondering about the existence of that person once he died.
Death
is such a harsh topic that no one seems to really want to discuss, but rather
avoid and these poems bring up this theme on such a personal level that make
you seriously think about what they are going through in their poem. Whether it
includes questions about death or the painful experience of it, death is a
serious matter in which “Slowly” and “Encounter” both portray. It was
interesting to look at when comparing both of these poems and seeing their understanding
on such a strong topic.
