Deer Sleep Analysis

7/29/2019 Deer Sleep Analysis

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deer-sleep

by randy lundy


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this place does not require your presence

and beneath the staring stars

you have discovered

your offerings are meaningless

this place does not require your presence: The earth has no need of you in order to be sustained; it

can sustain itself. Humans need nature, but not vice versa.

and beneath the staring stars: The fact that the stars are staring personifies them and indicates

that their presence is intimidating.

you have discovered your offerings are meaningless: When faced with nature's grandeur, you

realize that what you offer nature is of no consequence. Nature is so powerful that is has no

need of gifts.

staring stars = alliteration, which creates euphony. In Native spirituality, stars are perceived as

the spirits of those who have passed on, which makes the stars into a metaphor for spirits

watching over others.


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you are left with nothing

but silence

you have forgotten why you came here

you were looking forsomething

you are left with nothing but silence: Although you expect praise from nature for your offering,

you are left with no response; nature is impartial to the reverence of humans.

you have forgotten why you came here: You have lost sight of what you originally came for,

blinded by self-importance.

you were looking forsomething: You came seeking enlightenment or peace with nature, but it was

not attained.

The concept of having looked for something yet being left with nothing forms a subtle antithesis.

The repetition of the word 'you' creates anaphora, placing emphasis on you, the reader. The

tone of the repetition imposes responsibility, indicating that the poem is directed at the reader.


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the wind wanders among willows

mutteringforgotten stories

it has been everywhere

and cannot keep quiet

the wind wanders among willows, mutteringforgotten stories: The forces of nature are free and

powerful. Because they have been here for much longer than humans have, they know far

more than we do, hence being forgotten stories.

it has been everywhere and cannot keep quiet:Nature as an entity has had boundless experience

on earth, and it never ceases its activities.

the wind wanders among willows = alliteration. The imagery within the verse is also very

prominent.

The wind is personified because it is muttering and it cannot keep quiet, implying that it is

able to speak.

forgotten stories acts as a metaphor for the experiences that nature has endured in

comparison to humans. It is implied to be far wiser than humans on account of its power.


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you must learn

to listen, to be alone

only then

will youbed down with the deer

to sleep in the long, deep grass

you must learn to listen, to be alone: You must discard your pride and learn to simply be one with

nature and meditate.

only then will youbed down with the deer, to sleep in the long, deep grass: You will only obtain

peace and rest easy once you are able to appreciate nature's gifts. Once you do this, you will

be safe from harm.

To bed down with the deer is metaphorical. Deer symbolize peace and grace, so to bed with

deer would mean to rest easy and be at peace with oneself. The long, deep grass described in

the next verse is not only imagery, but it represents protection. It may be equated as a

metaphor for tall buildings in an urban city where most readers are assumed to live, which

denotes being one with nature even in an unnatural environment.


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wrapped in the warmth

ofslender bodies

ofslow-moving breath

wrapped in the warmthofslender bodies: Taking comfort in nature's protective presence.

ofslow-moving breath: Nature has a soothing rhythm similar to the slow breathing of a sleeping

deer.

Once again, the deer are a metaphor for nature's motherly protection. The feeling of comfort is

emphasized with the use of the word warmth, which connotes safety and care.

The use of of at the beginning of verse two and three creates anaphora.


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each time you awaken with the dawn

stars and moon fading memories

the deer will be gone

all day you carry with you

the sound of their sleeping

each time you awaken with the dawn, stars and moon fading memories, the deer will be gone: With

each new day, the responsibilities of everyday life will resurface and the connectivity with nature

will be as a dream. The connotation of night (stars and moon) with nature is significant. While

daytime entails work and responsibility, night-time entails calm and relaxation, like nature does.

all day you carry with you the sound of their sleeping: Although you may not be with naturephysically in day-to-day life, you are still able to revere and be in awe of it.

In the verse the sound of their sleeping, the sleeping of deer (equated with peace) is used

metaphorically to symbolize everlasting peace.

The word dawn creates strong imagery of a rising sun, adding to the atmosphere of the poem.


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the howling song of coyotes

the common dream

that binds you

the howling song of coyotes: A reference to the boisterous activities of everyday life. While daily

responsibilities are necessary, they can be a nuisance, much like coyotes.

the common dream that binds you: The common dream in the verse is the wish that most people

have to integrate their daily lives with the beauty of nature. It expresses the unity of all people

through their natural roots.

It is interesting that Randy Lundy would use a coyote to represent daily life coyotes are

predators to deer. The verse infers the possibility that if one is too engrossed in daily life, they

may forget the peace and importance that comes with nature, the deer, because it will have

been eaten by coyotes.


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Structural and Thematic Notes

Deer-sleep is a free-verse, naturalistic poem meant to express the author'sreverence towards nature and how man must remove himself from self-importance in order to embrace nature completely.

The poem's atmosphere is very calming, yet at the same time vaguelyinstructive. At face value it is pure poetry (which is poetry made simply to

please), but when it is analyzed, it clearly advocates integration with nature.

The poem contains no form of punctuation at the end of verses, or evenpreceding or following a stanza. This is known as enjambment.

Various poetic devices are present in the poem: atmosphere, metaphor,

alliteration, personification, euphony, imagery, antithesis, anaphora, andtone.


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Points to Consider

1. Are the images you envision upon reading the poem light or dark in nature?

2. Dramatic monologue is defined as a poem representing itself as a speech made byone person to a silent listener, usually not the reader. Based on its tone and subject

matter, could deer-sleep be classified as a dramatic monologue? Why or why not?

3. Which poetic device(s) is/are the most effective at expressing atmosphere?

4. What is the point of using poetic devices such as euphony and alliteration?

5. Do you think the lack of rhyming scheme and metre detracts from the poem? Why or

why not?

Deer Sleep Analysis

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