Imagery in Stafford and Kumin

The purpose of imagery in a poem is not merely to create a picture in the reader's mind but to also create a feeling or vibe for the entire poem. Essentially, imagery serves to stimulate the mind's senses. A poet has the power to be gloomy and depressed, or boisterous and jovial simply by employing specific images that connote those feelings. Moreover, Stafford and Kumin masterfully display the power of imagery as they pontificate on the death of animals and what those deaths mean to each of them individually. Firstly, Staffords general mood towards the dead dear in "Traveling through the Dark" is one of deep regret and emotional pain. Moreover this mood is effectively captured immediately in the title.  "Dark" serves to set the stage for the somber happenings that are to take place throughout the rest of the poem. The second stanza Stafford makes use of words such as "cold" and "stiffened". Additionally, a more subtle form of imagery can be found within the syntax of the poem. The sentence structure is choppy and new worries and concerns are constantly coming onto the scene. This creates an image of man who is somewhat confused and bewildered by this sudden death of nature. Likewise, in "Wood Chucks", Kumin uses imagery to convey the joy and thrill he gets from hunting down animals. He constanly refers to specific images of the tools he uses to hunt such as "cyanide" and "knockout bomb". His eagerness to desctibe these images reveals his own joy in using them.