Incident (Trethewey Poem) Essay Questions

Why does Trethewey use the pantoum form for this poem?

Trethewey employs the form of the pantoum in order to repeat phrases and images in a way that places them in a different light. When she initially says, "the charred grass now green again" but then changes it to "the charred grass still green," she is able to shift the timeline of the poem backward. Similarly, when she first says "a few men gathered, white as angels in their gowns," but then changes it to "It seemed the angels had gathered, white men in their gowns," she subtly conveys that this was a hate crime. By moving the word "white," she communicates the racial divide that drove this action. She uses this form for repetitions like this, which make it possible to significantly readjust the meaning of an image.

Why does the speaker seem to downplay the significance of this night in various places in the poem?

Throughout the poem, the speaker makes small comments that seem to minimize the severity and reality of what they witnessed. They claim twice that "nothing really happened" but describe the scene, and their feeling of fright, in intense detail. The purpose of this conflict within the poem seems to be rooted in the speaker's desire not to acknowledge the real terror of this moment, treating it as if it is a ghost story to be forgotten in the morning. At the same time, these images are irrepressible and the story itself is told repeatedly. So the speaker is caught between two impulses; one to leave this moment behind, like a bad dream, and another to tell this story so it won't be forgotten.