The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly Essay (Critical Writing)

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The use of literary devices allows a poet to emphasize a certain idea or to express it in a new and unique way that will draw the attention of a reader. “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly offers a fresh look at how literary devices can be used to create the feelings of turmoil and unease. By incorporating the tools such as anaphora, simile, and metaphor into her poem, Kelly manages to blur the line between reality and imagination, thus allowing the reader to immerse into her world and see how pointless the concept of violence is.

The regular use of anaphora across the poem is one of the first literary devices that one notices when casting a glance at the poem. The “Dead Doe” has the words “Yes” and “No” repeated, with the lines ending in “yes” and “No” sounding almost like refrains. For example, the specified repetition is featured in the following passages: “The doe lay dead on her back in a field of asters: no” and “Her belly white as a cut pear. Where we waited: no: off” (Kelly). The use of the specified literary device allows bringing a certain element of chaos into the poem, at the same time helping it to gain the reverberation needed for the lines to sound almost like a cadence.

In addition, the poem features the use of a social commentary heavily in its context. Specifically, the author juxtaposes social situations, representing a traditional one and the one that breaks the fabric of everyday reality. For example, in the line quoted above, the poet emphasizes the absurdity of the tragedy, namely, the fact that the dead doe was found not in the forest but on the school bus stop.

Remarkably, the poem is almost devoid of simile, which is often used as a powerful tool for conveying emotions and allowing a reader to get a comparatively clear idea of what the poet is narrating. In “Dead Doe,” however, the use of simile is restricted to a single phrase: “like a pedalled note” (Kelly). The specified restriction, while possibly incidental, still sees far too unnatural not to be deliberate. By avoiding the traditional tools for emotional and artistic expression in poetry, Kelly makes the instance when she does use simile particularly poignant. Indeed, in the specified lien, the repetitiveness of the events in the environment described by Kelly becomes particularly grinding, and the application of simile allows placing emphasis on the specified situation.

Finally, one should discuss the use of metaphor and symbolism in “Dead Doe.” Kelly makes It abundantly clear from the very start of the poem that the dead doe is a metaphor and a social commentary. Given the events that inspired Kelly to write the poem, namely, deer hunting, the idea of violence as the phenomenon of a truly ubiquitous nature seems to be embodied in the dead doe. Remarkably, the author adds another layer of metaphorical imagery to the specified concept by incorporating two imaginary swans into the very real picture of a dead doe: “but two swans: we saw two swans/and they were fighting” (Kelly). Thus, Kelly’s narrative closes the cycle, conveying a rather unsetting idea of perpetual violence: “Child. We are done for/in the most remarkable ways” (Kelly).

The introduction of simile, metaphor, and anaphora as literary devices serves its purpose of drawing the reader’s attention to the passages and structural elements that convey the core of the author’s message. Namely, the purposelessness of violence, the sense of loss, and the feeling of disorientation are amplified with the help of the specified devices, leaving the reader speechless and pondering over the complicated social issues that the author discusses.

Work Cited

Kelly, Brigit Pegeen. “.” KenyonReview.org, n.d. Web.

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"The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly." IvyPanda, 18 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-dead-doe-by-brigit-pegeen-kelly/.

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IvyPanda. (2022) 'The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly'. 18 February.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly." February 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-dead-doe-by-brigit-pegeen-kelly/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly." February 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-dead-doe-by-brigit-pegeen-kelly/.


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IvyPanda. "The Poem “Dead Doe” by Brigit Pegeen Kelly." February 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-dead-doe-by-brigit-pegeen-kelly/.

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