The Death Of A Toad

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"The Death Of A Toad" Richard Wilbur's "Death of a Toad" contemplates on the memory and thoughts of a toad as it approaches death. Wilbur reveals the speaker's response to the death of the toad through structure, syntax, diction and imagery. To the speaker, the death of the toad was realistic, vivid and calming. The sequence of events shows the thoughts and changes of feelings for the toad the speaker goes through. The poem starts off with the speaker's very blunt observation, "A toad the power mower caught." Made the poem drastic and unemotional to the death of toad. The lack of sympathy is clearly recognisable as the first stanza continues on the description about the toad's injury and movements. Then as the toad, brings himself to the cineraria leaves, the speaker starts to use symbolism and starts to show some interest. That the toad was surrounded by "heartshaped leaves" and will die in this "final glade"(6). In the second stanza, the speaker is now curious of the physical death of the toad. It went from indifference to a journey. The speaker observes the flow of the blood and it's staring eyes. He watches the toad's stillness, which has him come to a conclusion that the toad is "attending towards some deep monotone" (11). In the third stanza, the speaker describes that toad is losing it's "Amphibia's empires" (14). Which has the same importance as the of the speaker's life. Then finally, as the toad's eyes close, the speaker is left alone in the "castrate lawn'' while in the " haggard daylight sheer". The journey is complete from the speaker having a total lack sympathy to a caring observer for the toad. Wilbur's use of diction increase from simple to complex as the speaker's feelings grow in-depth toward the toad. The opening lines of the poem, are very simplistic as if in a casual conversation. On the other hand, the speaker's use of

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