Critical Overview
Dr Harmony Volta-Wright *
Blackwood-Marlowe Institute for Literary Arts
Mortality on the Roadside: An Examination of Human Indifference to Wildlife Death
This evocative poem presents a stark and poignant meditation on the accidental death of a badger on a rural road, inviting readers to contemplate our complex relationship with wildlife and the natural world. The work offers a profound exploration of the jarring juxtaposition between natural existence and human intrusion, specifically examining how modern conveniences often come at the expense of wild creatures.
Through carefully constructed imagery, the poet tracks the badger’s death from discovery to reflection, creating a narrative that transforms what might be considered an ordinary roadkill incident into a moment of moral and ecological significance. The badger’s body becomes a site for contemplation about the impact of vehicles on wildlife habitats and the disconnection between human activity and its consequences on the natural environment.
The poet’s use of detailed observation highlights the physical characteristics of the badger – its fur, claws, teeth, and muscle – emphasising the creature’s powerful animal vitality that has been suddenly extinguished. This attention to detail serves to humanise the wild animal, making its death more resonant and tragic to the reader. The contrast between the badger’s earlier morning activities and its current stillness creates a temporal framework that heightens the sense of life interrupted.
Particularly striking is the poem’s exploration of corporate indifference, symbolised by the delivery van whose driver barely registers the collision. The ironic juxtaposition of cheerful marketing slogans like “LIVE WELL FOR LESS!” and “NO EMISSIONS!” against the reality of the dying badger creates a powerful critique of modern consumerism’s disconnection from the ecological consequences it creates. This commentary on environmental impact extends beyond the immediate incident to suggest broader questions about sustainability and our relationship with the natural world.
The poem concludes with the narrator’s human perspective, acknowledging their position as witness to this death while continuing their walk. This final reflection captures the essential dilemma of modern existence – the awareness of our role in ecological damage coupled with the seeming inability to fundamentally change our relationship with nature. The reference to what “lives deep in there still” in the badger’s burrow creates a haunting reminder of the wildlife communities disrupted by human activity.
Throughout the work, the poet employs rhythmic variations and structural techniques that mirror the disruption of natural cycles caused by human intervention. The poem stands as a moving elegy not just for one deceased badger, but for countless wild animals whose lives intersect fatally with human infrastructure, inviting readers to consider more deeply their own relationship with the natural environment and the often invisible costs of modern convenience.
