LITERATURE IN

ENGLISH 0475
February 28, 2024
WEDNESDAY
Materials needed:
Notebook
Copy of the poem
Blue pen
Dictionary
Feedback of the assessment:

What can you say about the poem?

Why do you think humans fear death? Discuss your answer and give
example.
Given the opportunity to live forever with guaranteed good health,
would you accept it? Explain your reasoning, considering both the
potential benefits and drawbacks of such life. 3 mins.
 Lesson:

Lesson
The Buck and the Snow
By: Edna St. Vincent Millay
OBJECTIVES:

explore the form , structure of the

poem and it’s and its meaning
Activity 1 Group work
Instructions:
Read and analyze the poem carefully.
Write the literary device use in the poem.

10 mins.
 Literary Device Evidence Meaning
Diction at least
three
Imagery
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Diction
"White sky":
•Imagery: Creates a vast, open canvas of the snowy landscape.
•Emotional impact: Evokes a sense of serenity and peacefulness, contrasting with the
upcoming tragedy.
2. "Bowed":
•Imagery: Describes the hemlocks weighed down by snow, suggesting submission or even
mourning.
•Emotional impact: Hints at a potential underlying darkness or danger beneath the peaceful
surface.
3. "Suddenly":
•Imagery: Emphasizes the abruptness and unexpectedness of the buck's disappearance.
•Emotional impact: Creates a sense of shock and disrupts the initial tranquility.
4. "Lovely and slow":
•Imagery: Paints a picture of the deer's graceful movement despite the
suddenness of their departure.
•Emotional impact: Adds a layer of poignancy to the tragedy,
highlighting the lost beauty and innocence.
5. "Scalding the snow":
•Imagery: A powerful metaphor contrasting the warm blood with the cold
snow, emphasizing the harsh reality of death.
•Emotional impact: Creates a jarring contrast and emphasizes the
violence of the event.
Imagery: The poem is heavily reliant on imagery (visual imagery) to create a
strong visual picture of the snowy landscape and the events that unfold. The
opening line, "White sky, over the hemlocks bowed with snow," immediately
sets the scene and creates a sense of serenity and stillness. Millay continues to use
vivid imagery throughout the poem, describing the deer, the orchard, and the falling
snow.

Metaphor: The phrase "scalding the snow" uses metaphor to

compare the buck's blood to something hot and intense, highlighting the
contrast between warm life and the cold stillness of death.
Simile
"Letting fall a feather of snow"
This simile compares the falling snow to a feather, highlighting its:
•Softness: The simile emphasizes the gentleness and quietude of the
falling snow, contrasting with the harshness of the buck's death.
•Lightness: The comparison to a feather suggests the snow falls
effortlessly and weightlessly, further emphasizing the contrast with the
tragedy that unfolds.
•Delicacy: The image of a feather evokes a sense of fragility, which
can be seen as a reflection of the deer's vulnerability and the fleeting
nature of life.
For personification:
•"White sky, over the hemlocks bowed with snow": Some might interpret the sky
being "over" the hemlocks as suggesting a sense of agency or observation, implying
the sky is actively watching over the scene.
•"Letting fall a feather of snow": This phrase could be seen as giving the snow
human-like qualities of gentleness and intentionality.
•The speaker's address to the "White sky": The question "Saw you not at the
beginning of evening the antlered buck and his doe?" could be interpreted as the
speaker seeking knowledge or confirmation from the sky, further blurring the lines
between nature and something conscious.
Activity 1: Think Pair Share
Directions: Discuss with
your partner the rhyme of
the poem. Write the
rhyming words and letter
pattern.
White sky, over the hemlocks bowed with snow, A
Saw you not at the beginning of evening the antlered buck and his doe, A
Standing in the apple orchard? I saw them. I saw them suddenly go, A
Tails up, with long leaps lovely and slow, A
Over the stone wall into the wood with hemlocks bowed with snow. , A

Now lies he here, his wild blood scalding the snow. , A

How strange a thing is death, bringing to his knees, bringing to his antlers, B
The buck in the snow. A
How strange a thing, – a mile away by now, it may be, C
Under the heavy hemlocks that as the moments pass D
Shift their loads a little, letting fall a feather of snow – A
Life, looking out attentive from the eyes of the doe. A
"The Buck in the Snow" does not follow any traditional rhyme
scheme, but it does frequently rhyme—and those rhymes are
all on the long /oh/ sound. The rhyme scheme of the poem is
as follows:
AAAAA
A
BACDAA
Activity 2: Think Pair Share 3 mins.

• What is the structure and the form of

the poem?
• How does the structure and form of the
poem affect the meaning of the poem?
Form:
1.Free Verse: The poem doesn't follow a strict rhyme scheme or
meter. While the final sestet leans towards iambic pentameter, it's not
perfect, allowing for a natural flow of language and emotional
expression.
2.Unusual Rhyme Scheme: Interestingly, the first stanza's rhyme
scheme (aaaaa) is echoed in the first and last lines of the final stanza
(bacdaa). This creates a sense of unity and reinforces the connection
between the initial scene and the final reflection.
Structure:
Quintet: The poem starts with a five-line stanza (pentameter) setting the
scene. It paints a peaceful picture of the snow-covered landscape and
introduces the deer.
Monostich: A single line stands alone, shocking the reader with the revelation
of the buck's death. This abrupt shift creates powerful contrast and emphasizes
the unexpected nature of the event.
Sestet: The final stanza has six lines (mostly iambic pentameter) where the
speaker reflects on the witnessed death. It ends with a thought-provoking
question, leaving the reader to contemplate the poem's meaning.
Activity 3: Think Pair Share
With your partner, create a two stanza poem following the rhyme
scheme:
AAAAA
BACDAA
You can choose either of the topics below.
Life
Death
Sorrow
Assessment:
Directions: Answer questions below in your notebook.

1. Why do you think authors use different poetic devices in

writing their poems? Do you think poetic devices are
important? Why or why not?
2. Give at least two poetic devices the author uses in the
poem. How did it affect the poem?