Possum Crossing by Nikki Giovanni analysis

Possum Crossing
by Nikki Giovanni
Backing out the driveway the car lights cast an eerie glow in the morning fog centering on movement in the rain slick street Hitting brakes I anticipate a squirrel or a cat or sometimes a little raccoon I once braked for a blind little mole who try though he did could not escape the cat toying with his life Mother-to-be possum occasionally lopes home . . . being naturally . . . slow her condition makes her even more ginger We need a sign POSSUM CROSSING to warn coffee-gurgling neighbors: we share the streets with more than trucks and vans and railroad crossings All birds being the living kin of dinosaurs think themselves invincible and pay no heed to the rolling wheels while they dine on an unlucky rabbit I hit brakes for the flutter of the lights hoping it's not a deer or a skunk or a groundhog coffee splashes over the cup which I quickly put away from me and into the empty passenger seat I look . . . relieved and exasperated ... to discover I have just missed a big wet leaf struggling . . . to lift itself into the wind and live The speaker of this poem is a women who is frustrated with people and sympathetic towards animals. It frustrates her that people don't take the time out of their busy lives to watch out for the welfare of the animal. She feels bad for the animals because they lose their lives on a day to day basis for nothing. Their deaths could be avoided, but due to the failure of drivers to acknowledge the animals, there is nothing preventing the poor little animals from being harmed. As far as the diction goes, I love how the author caused a dramatic effect when she would pause for a while using three periods. It gave the reader a chance to reflect on what had just been said, and also put more emphasis on the upcoming line. Throughout the poem it was constantly adding dramatic effect to places that really stood out because of it. For example, in the 5th stanza when she says, "I look... relieved and exasperated..." This lets the reader soak in the situation and really understand the authors feelings. The were tons of imagery in this poem that made it fun to read. One specific example was in the 5th stanza when she described the scenario in the car saying, "Coffee splashes over the cup which I quickly put away from me and into the empty passenger seat." I can clearly see an image of a women in the front seat of a car throwing her coffee aside in hopes that she would avoid the animal in the street. An example of figurative language in this poem would be in the 5th stanza when she says, "I hit the brakes." This is an example of anthropomorphism because she associates a human action with a non-human object. You technically can't hit brakes. The correct term would be to apply brakes if you were going to use the word in that particular context. However, it does correctly represent an example of an anthropomorphism, which is definitely a form of figurative language. The meaning of this poem is to stick up for others when they can't stick up for themselves. The author mentions the tiny squirrels and the pregnant possum to create a sense of vulnerability so that we can see how truly helpless these animals are. Then to show contrast, she explains how people are too busy with their coffees and their morning routines to realize the animals crossing the street. By creating this sense of "good" and "evil", the author can draw you into her side and make you feel like by supporting this "Possum Crossing" sign, your doing the right thing. By supporting this "Possum Crossing" sign, you're sticking up for the animals when can't do that themselves.