1.  What imagery does Shapiro use in the first three lines to evoke sound and sight?  How do these images become increasingly significant in the context of the entire poem?

The imagery Shapiro uses is the image of an ambulance charging down the road with it’s sirens on.  He says “soft silver bell beating, beating” which makes me think of someones heart beating as the rescuers in the ambulance try to save it’s life.  “Pulsing out red light like an artery” also makes me think of a heart fighting for it’s life and again the ambulance is coming to save it.  These images become increasingly significant in the context of the entire poem because it leads to the other events and it builds up the poem to what is going to come next.

2.  On a literal level, what contextual significance do the following words and phrases have: mangled (line 9), “tolls once” (line 11), “terrible cargo” (line 12), “rocking, slightly rocking” (line 13), deranged and composed (lines 15 and 16)?

Mangled in line 9 refers to the bodies of the victims being mutilated or disfigured.  Tolls once in line 11 refers to the ambulance bell ringing and also referring to a funeral bell.  Terrible cargo in line 12 refers to the bodies being like cargo and not human anymore.  Rocking, slightly rocking in line 13 is referring to the ambulance rocking to try to save the bodies and derange and composed in lines 15 and 16 refers to the cops and witnesses.  The cops see things like this everyday so they are composed but the witnesses ware deranged with the horror of the accident.

3.  Analyze the metaphors in lines 3, 18, 22, and 29-30.  What pattern do they create and why is it appropriate to the poem?

In line 3 the light on top of an ambulance is being compared to a pulsing artery.  This creates a horrifying image of a pulsing heart fighting for it’s life.  Line 18 is comparing blood to a pond.  This creates an image of tons of blood that need to be cleaned of the streets.  This adds to the terrifying meaning of the poem.  Line 22 compares throats to tourniquets which tells us how horrified the witnesses are and what effect the accident has had on the people around.  Line 29-30 refers to the witnesses not being able to recover from the horrors they have just seen and they cannot heal the wound created by it.

4.  What is added to the theme of the poem by the metaphors in lines 20-21 and the simile in 24-27?

The theme of the poem is that death is not always peaceful and expected.  It can be sudden and horrifying.  In lines 20-21, “lanterns on the wrecks that cling” are compared to “empty husks of locusts, to iron poles”.  This adds to the theme of the violent nature of death and adds goriness of the poem.  The simile in lines 24-27 witnesses are compared to “convalescents intimate and gauche” saying the witnesses are so shocked and effected by the accident that they lose their senses and act as the victims themselves.  They are in great fear and have many questions that are left unanswered.