Comparing Mark Doty's 'Or Death And December'

Exemplar One

Mr. Doherty

Honors English 9

18 February 2022

A Speck of Gold in a Sea of Gray

Memories are made from one shining moment found in 1,000 dull moments. Mark Doty’s “Golden Retrievals” and “Or Death and December” by George Garrett use poetic language to narrate little moments within life that institute wonder. In his poem, Doty manipulates words and sound to emphasize his focus on the positive aspects of life. Garret’s use of repetitive common sounds assist in his comparative poem to describe negative conditions that provide positive moments with their value. Though differing in presentation, both utilize sound and poetic devices within their poems to illustrate the shared theme, simple pleasures can overshadow monotonous thoughts

Both poems include comparisons in the form of similes and metaphors to emphasize the significance of little moments that contrast the daze of average life. In “Golden Retrievals”, the speaker relates the dog’s bark to a resounding noise that brings his owner back to the present: “a Zen master’s bronzy gong, calls you here, / entirely, now: bow-wow…” (Doty 16-17).With a similar use of figurative language, the speaker of “Or Death and December” describes the wind in December as, “... a deuce-and-a-half, a six-by, a semi, / huge with a cold load of growls” before contradicting the unfavorable weather with a positive new experience with his puppy later in the poem (Garrett 11-12). Both utilize these figurative comparisons to provide more in-depth descriptions of the subject of the poem and connect them to their common theme. The comparison of the dog’s bark to a “bronzy gong” in “Golden Retrievals” creates a meditative tone that then relates a calm and relaxed feeling to the present moment “here” and “entirely, now” emphasizing how remaining simply in the moment can bring forth positivity in daily life. George Garrett’s use of metaphorical language creates a distinctly negative tone with the wind possessing “a cold load of growls”, though his bleak description provides a source for some of his negative thoughts, counteracted by a source of positivity later in the poem. One of the greatest similarities between how both poems illustrate their shared theme is through use of vibrant diction that reflects the emotions seen within. Mark Doty in “Golden Retrievals” continues to depict the positive emotions associated with returning to the present, saying, “to unsnare time’s warp (and woof!) / retrieving, / my haze-headed friend, you…” (12-14). Resembling “Golden Retrievals”, George Garrett uses distinctly