The Death of a Toad

Today, October 9, 2013, we looked at a poem called The Death of a Toad by Richard Wilbur. It talked about a toad killed by a lawnmower. While it was a pretty simplistic poem in terms of interpretation and theme, it touched on an emotional subject: death. The class talked about how the narrator of the story seemed fascinated by the death of the toad, and for once I agreed with all the points that were brought up by my peers, making it my favorite class discussion thus far. We concluded the narrator almost enjoyed watching the life drain away from the small amphibian; or rather he was curious and star struck. Mr. Delacruz mentioned that it is possible the narrator saw himself/herself in the dying toad and they could picture themselves dying a lonesome, insignificant death like the toad did The Death of a Toad.

At one point in class, Mr. Delacruz asked the class if anyone had actually seen someone/something die in front of them. This question ignited the stockpile of dynamite that is the memories from my grandma’s passing at the beginning of this summer. When Mr. Delacruz posed that question, it took me back to that room at Sparrow, where I witnessed my grandmother leave this world. I cannot think of a more powerful moment than that span of 60 seconds. I can recall feeling speechless and helpless similar to the narrator in The Death of a Toad. There was nothing the narrator could do to help the frog, like there was nothing I could do at 5 o’clock on June 18^th. Both the narrator and I were paralyzed. As hard as it was for me to watch my beloved grandmother slip away, it was also inspiring and uplifting.

As odd as it may sound, death is a beautiful thing, and most often, the greatest relief of pain and suffering. This was especially true in my grandma’s case. She had been battling with Multiple Sclerosis for 35 years and she was unable to walk for the last 30 years of her life. Despite her setbacks, she never let that stop her and she committed her life to her four beautiful daughters as well as her husband. She suffered her whole life, but when she died, that suffering vanished. It was hard for my family to deal with her absence in our lives because after all, my grandmother and her aide would come to my house three times a week to escape the nursing home for the day. Even though we miss her immensely, we all know she is in a better place. It is amazing how many emotions a poem can bring to the surface. These emotions are essential to a poem, however, because they provide a way for the reader to connect and better understand the poem’s meaning. This was the exact case with The Death of a Toad by Richard Wilbur.