Comparing the Horrific Talk of Death

               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.