To a Mouse commentary
The poem “To a Mouse” is about a man who destroyed a mouses home and his reactions afterward. This poem talks about how man can accidentally harm nature, and how even the best plans can go wrong. Through out the poem the author uses man poetic devices to convey the two main themes.
In the second stanza the author Robert Burns writes “I'm truly sorry man's dominion has broken natures social union” to show the first theme of the poem. This theme shows that man should respect the Earth and its creatures. In the first six stanzas the narrator who is plowing his field is apologizing to a mouse for destroying its home. Through out these six stanzas the narrator is trying by apologizing to the mouse. He says that he understands the mouses need for survival and he is sorry for destroying its home. The narrator also tries to make things better by telling the mouse he doesn't blame it for stealing his corn, and saying it can have more “but you may steal” By destroying the mouses home the narrator knows he has basically killed the mouse
The second theme of the poem shows how life can be unpredictable and how even the best plans can go bad. To show this the author says “The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew.” Even though the mouse had carefully planned out his winter home, it could not have predicted man would destroy it.
The author uses many poetic devises to help show his two themes. He uses six line stanzas to make the poem easier to read and understand. The author emphasizes the rhyme scheme and meter of lines four and six of each stance to help show the importance of the themes. He uses lines four and six of the second stanza “Which makes thee startle.... And fellow mortal” to show the importance of the first theme. He calls the mouse a fellow mortal to show he is respecting it. He also uses lines four and six of the seventh stanza “ Go often askew ….For promised joy” to help show the importance of the second theme....