Snow

“Snow” features pairs of contrasting images and perspectives. The poem opens with two brothers walking together; one is younger, and one is older (Line 1). In the second stanza, there is a troop of angels and their opposing force, a farmer. The next scene introduces water and ice (Lines 6-7). Throughout these scenes, the dialogue between the two brothers establishes both an innocent perspective and a violent perspective. In the final scene, the poet expresses that snow insulates the outdoors so that it resembles a room indoors (Line 11).

The difference between the two brothers and the difference between the angels and the farmer are significant. Both pairs feature opposing images of innocence and violence. The younger brother, like the angels, is a victim of his opposite’s cruelty. The speaker of the poem acts so illogically that he doesn’t understand his own behavior: “For some reason, I told him […]” (Line 3), “I didn’t know where I was going with this” (Line 8). Yet his actions threaten the innocent worldview of the younger brother, who, despite the speaker’s dark story, doesn’t grasp the severity of the speaker’s worldview.