The Accusation

Van Duyn, Mona

Primary Category: Literature / Poetry

Genre: Poem

Annotated by:
Chen, Irene
Aull, Felice
  • Date of entry: Aug-01-1993

Summary

The poem begins by describing how the "uncaring earth" can destroy millions of organisms "en masse" (i.e., grasses, bacilli). The author applies this analogy to humans: how easy it is to perceive that "the more lost, the less each is worth." The author then argues the value of each individual, and how irreplaceable one is, ending with another analogy: as minute details in nature are appreciated, so should individual lives be valued.

Primary Source

Near Changes

Publisher

Knopf

Place Published

New York

Edition

1992