deer-sleep

by randy lundy

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.

you are left with nothing but silence you have forgotten why you came here you were looking for something

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 for something: 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.

the wind wanders among willows muttering forgotten stories it has been everywhere and cannot keep quiet the wind wanders among willows, muttering forgotten 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.

you must learn to listen, to be alone only then will you bed 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 you bed 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.

wrapped in the warmth of slender bodies of slow-moving breath

wrapped in the warmth of slender bodies: Taking comfort in nature's protective presence. of slow-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.

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 nature physically 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.

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.

Structural and Thematic Notes

Deer-sleep is a free-verse, naturalistic poem meant to express the author's reverence towards nature and how man must remove himself from selfimportance in order to embrace nature completely. The poem's atmosphere is very calming, yet at the same time vaguely instructive. 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 even preceding 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, and tone.

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 by one 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?