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Analysis Of Woodchucks By Maxine Kumin

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Quietly Justifying Violence Poetry has many ways to express different views on life. Maxine Kumin, poet of “Woodchucks”, seems to be writing about simply trying to keep woodchucks out of her garden. There is the illusion that the poem is not just about getting rid of the woodchucks from the poem but possibly something a bit darker. Maxine Kumin’s poem “Woodchucks” is not just about ridding a garden of woodchucks but more so on the line of justifying the violent behavior in humans. Kumin's poem is about violence, justifying violent behavior in people. In the beginning the author describes a killing of the animal in a passive and “merciful” way. The author simply poisons the woodchucks, although this does no kill the creature off. Since this did not work the woodchucks continue to eat her vegetables. This angers the gardener to the point of what she believes is justified. She then has the idea to get a gun and just kill the animals this way. So she pulls out a .22 shotgun, instantly feeling “righteously thrilling to the feel of the .22” (Kumin line 13-14). This instantly pulls out a darkness to the poem. Although she instantly justifies this action by using Charles Darwin's …show more content…

It's as if she blames them for awakening her unconcealed brutality; something she might prefer to keep under wraps. Bringing up Nazi in the very end brings another justification to violence. She mentions the “quiet Nazi way”, which in history is is clearly known that there was nothing quiet about this(line 29-30). The author is justifying Hitler and his actions. By comparing what hitler had done to the gardeners “merciful” start to rid the woodchucks of her garden with poison is as if the the author were saying what hitler had done to all those people to be “merciful” as

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