Some people do not care or even notice killing a toad while mowing a lawn, but some do. In Richard Wilbur's poem, "The Death of a Toad", the speaker runs over and kills a toad while mowing his lawn and feels great distress for his action. The speaker shows sympathy for the amphibian as he describes the peaceful scene of the toad's fatal injury and his last minutes alive. Wilbur uses the formal elements of structure and syntax, diction, and imagery to help convey the speaker's sadness towards the death of a toad. From his "hobbling hop" (line 2) to his "antique eyes" (16), the speaker exemplifies his sympathetic feelings toward the creature's death.
Wilbur's excellent use of diction can be seen throughout all three stanzas. Beginning with a more casual array of words, he quickly progresses to a more dark and gloomy selection. The dismal words throughout the poem, including "dim" (5), "low" (6), "staring" (8), and "gutters" (9), help to represent the speaker's grave emotion......

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Title: The Death Of A Toad By Richard Wilbur
Approximate Word Count: 782
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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