The Bull Moose

“The Bull Moose” by Canadian poet Alden Nowlan is a 33-line free verse poem divided in eight stanzas. Seemingly straightforward in tone, the poem is deeply ironic and presents a bleak view of people’s treatment of nature. It can be called a narrative poem, since it tells the story of the eponymous bull moose who strays into human territory. Since the poem positions nature as inherently good and divine, it is a romantic work. However, unlike most Romantic poems, it is pessimistic about the relationship between humans and nature.

The poem’s diction is relatively simple, but also rich and figurative. Using symbols, similes, allusions, metaphors, and alliteration, Nowlan creates a powerful nature poem with an emotional core and a strong point of view. The poem’s resonant themes of the degradation of nature, its use of irony, and its vivid imagery make it one of Nowlan’s most popular works.

Poet Biography

Called “the greatest Canadian poet of the twentieth century” by American poet Robert Bly, Alden Nowlan (1933-83) is known for the emotionally honest works.