Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
David Berman’s poem “Snow” is a deceptively simple narrative that opens into a deeply philosophical meditation on childhood, innocence, language, and the unknowable dimensions of truth and morality. Like much of Berman’s poetry, it operates in a conversational tone, but subtly invites readers into profound reflection.
Text of the Poem (for context)
Walking through a field with my little brother Seth
I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that a troop of angels
had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground.
He asked who had shot them and I said a farmer.
Then we were on the roof of the lake.
The ice looked like a photograph of water.
Why he asked. Why did he shoot them.
I didn’t know where I was going with this.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
They were on his property, I said.
When it’s snowing, the outdoors
seem like a room.
Today I traded a few words with a woman who
might have been a total genius.
And the house was
quiet
as a telephone
with no one on the other end.
Line-by-Line Analysis
Stanza 1: The Story Begins
Walking through a field with my little brother Seth
I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
This opening presents a peaceful winter scene. The act of walking with a sibling and observing snow angels evokes innocence and childhood nostalgia. It’s an image rooted in purity—a field, children, snow—setting the stage for contrast.
For some reason, I told him that a troop of angels
had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground.
Here, the poem takes a dark, surreal turn. The speaker introduces a lie—unprovoked and bizarre. Snow angels become real angels, and they’ve been executed. The use of “troop” suggests organized innocence, perhaps even celestial soldiers or beings, destroyed unjustly. This twist disrupts the initial tranquility and injects an almost mythic violence.
He asked who had shot them and I said a farmer.
The brother, Seth, tries to understand the story through causality: “Who did it?” The speaker invents a figure—the farmer—an embodiment of authority, ownership, and perhaps arbitrary human violence. Farmers, typically nurturing figures, are here transformed into destroyers.
Stanza 2: Displacement and Uncertainty
Then we were on the roof of the lake.
The ice looked like a photograph of water.
This shift in location—sudden and unannounced—feels dreamlike. The “roof of the lake” implies they’re standing on frozen water, a metaphor for fragile certainty or thin understanding. The ice “looked like a photograph of water” suggests something lifeless, still, or imitative—a facsimile of what was once fluid and alive.
Why he asked. Why did he shoot them.
I didn’t know where I was going with this.
Seth, still trying to make sense of the story, poses a second “why.” The repetition underlines his struggle to understand. The speaker confesses confusion—he doesn’t know why he lied or where the story is headed. This moment reveals a loss of control, a narrative unraveling.
Stanza 3: Justification and Arbitrary Logic
They were on his property, I said.
This line is chilling in its simplicity. It mimics real-world justifications for violence or exclusion—ownership as rationale. It echoes the logic behind countless historical and moral atrocities: “They were somewhere they shouldn’t be.” This moment becomes a commentary on adult rationalizations of cruelty—how authority often masks violence with legality.
Stanza 4: The Indoors/Outdoors Metaphor
When it’s snowing, the outdoors
seem like a room.
This simile introduces a sense of enclosure. Snow blurs boundaries, muffles sound, and makes the external world feel intimate, safe—like being indoors. It’s a beautiful, quiet line that conveys the surreal quietude of snow, perhaps symbolizing how language and stories—like the one the speaker told—create their own enclosed spaces.
Today I traded a few words with a woman who
might have been a total genius.
Here the poem makes a strange, almost disconnected jump. The speaker recalls a brief interaction—fleeting but possibly meaningful. “Traded a few words” contrasts with the deep impact that interaction might have had, hinting at how surface-level experiences can conceal deep substance. It also plays with the idea that we often fail to recognize wisdom in the moment.
Final Lines: Loneliness and Silence
And the house was
quiet
as a telephone
with no one on the other end.
The final simile is profoundly evocative. A house becomes like a phone with no response—suggesting isolation, loss, and existential silence. There’s a disconnection between speaker and listener, mirroring the failed communication between the speaker and his brother earlier. It’s an image of haunting stillness, as though language itself has failed.
Themes in “Snow”
1. Innocence and Its Loss
At the heart of “Snow” is a meditation on childhood innocence and the moment it is interrupted or confused by adult distortions. The speaker is walking with his younger brother, Seth, and introduces a surreal, violent story into a peaceful, snowy moment:
“I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that a troop of angels
had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground.”
The contrast between what actually happened (kids making snow angels) and what the speaker says happened (a massacre of real angels) illustrates a key shift: the intrusion of the violent or absurd into the innocent. The speaker “for some reason” tells this false story, suggesting a spontaneous or unconscious urge to challenge or disturb the child’s perspective.
Seth’s reaction — asking “Why did he shoot them?” — is earnest and confused, a child trying to apply logic and morality to a world that seems to defy both. This moment marks a small fracture in innocence, where the boundary between reality and fiction becomes morally charged.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
2. The Power and Fragility of Storytelling
The speaker’s spontaneous fabrication quickly spins beyond his control. He admits:
“I didn’t know where I was going with this.”
This confession is pivotal. It reveals that stories — even ones told in jest or on impulse — can take on a life of their own, especially when shared with someone impressionable. This moment captures the fragility of narrative control and the potential harm of careless storytelling.
Even his invented justification for the violence—
“They were on his property, I said.”
—shows how language and story can be used to justify violence, echoing adult logic used in history, politics, and power dynamics. This fictional farmer’s authority is established with just one phrase: he owns the land. The speaker mimics adult rationalizations, but the simplicity of the logic lays bare its absurdity.
3. Authority, Ownership, and Morality
The speaker’s explanation — that the angels were shot because they were “on his property” — introduces a major philosophical theme: how authority justifies violence.
This line reflects a broader human tendency to defend cruelty or injustice under the guise of law, ownership, or power. The idea that divine or innocent beings (angels) can be exterminated simply for trespassing is both surreal and eerily reflective of real-world events (colonialism, border politics, racial injustice).
“They were on his property, I said.”
The flatness of this justification mimics real-life legalistic thinking — how something terrible can be rendered morally “acceptable” by technical ownership. This theme echoes institutional power vs. individual morality, and the failure of simple logic to account for moral complexity.
4. Disconnection and Existential Silence
As the poem moves from the outdoors to the interior of the speaker’s thoughts, a tone of isolation and disconnection takes over. In the final stanza, Berman writes:
“And the house was
quiet
as a telephone
with no one on the other end.”
This metaphor of a dead telephone line beautifully conveys a feeling of emotional emptiness or failure of communication. It might suggest the speaker’s reflection on his relationship with Seth — a moment when he introduced confusion into the boy’s moral universe — and the inability to bridge that gap afterward.
The earlier line:
“Today I traded a few words with a woman who
might have been a total genius.”
reinforces the idea of missed or fleeting connections. The speaker acknowledges that even brief conversations may hold depth he cannot fully perceive. The “genius” here might represent insight, truth, or even human understanding — things that pass by too quickly to grasp.
5. Surrealism and the Blurring of Reality
Throughout the poem, reality and fantasy blur in subtle but unsettling ways. The transition between settings is abrupt:
“Then we were on the roof of the lake.”
This image is surreal — standing on a frozen lake described as a “roof”, turning nature into architecture. The lake’s ice is described as:
“a photograph of water.”
This is one of the most poetic and metaphor-rich lines in the poem. A photograph captures an image but not the essence; it’s frozen, lifeless. Ice being likened to a photograph implies stillness, artifice, and surface-level reality, hinting that much of what we see or say may only be an imitation of deeper truths.
This theme extends to the speaker’s story: the narrative of the angels is not real, but it shapes Seth’s understanding in a very real way. The poem is asking: what happens when the stories we tell become more powerful than the truth they obscure?
6. The Uncertainty of Meaning
There is a deep current of existential uncertainty throughout the poem. The speaker is not in command of his narrative. He is improvising. He’s unsure of his own motivations and unclear about the consequences of what he’s saying:
“I didn’t know where I was going with this.”
This line breaks the illusion of control and suggests that meaning — in storytelling, in relationships, even in thought — is often elusive, invented moment to moment. The story of the angels unravels not just for Seth, but for the speaker himself.
Even the interaction with the “woman who might have been a total genius” reflects this uncertainty. He recognizes potential depth but can’t quite access it — mirroring how Seth might feel about his brother’s strange story.
Form and Style
Berman’s style is casual, understated, and conversational, but his minimalist tone belies deep philosophical undercurrents. The line breaks are abrupt, creating pauses that let meaning simmer. The poem reads like a memory but feels like a fable.
David Berman’s “Snow” employs a rich tapestry of literary devices that contribute to its emotional depth, philosophical ambiguity, and minimalist style. Below is a detailed breakdown of the major literary devices used in the poem:
1. Imagery
Imagery is one of the strongest devices in Snow. Berman crafts vivid visual and sensory experiences:
-
“Angels in the snow” — evokes innocence and playfulness.
-
“The ice looked like a photograph of water” — a surreal image that blurs perception and reality.
-
“The house was quiet as a telephone with no one on the other end” — haunting auditory imagery that conveys isolation.
These images create a surreal, dreamlike world while grounding emotional themes.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
2. Symbolism
-
Snow: Symbolizes innocence, silence, purity, and also detachment. It creates a blank canvas on which human experience is inscribed.
-
Angels: Represent purity or the divine, and their “execution” symbolizes the loss or destruction of innocence.
-
Farmer: A symbol of authority, control, and possibly the arbitrariness of power.
-
Ice as “a photograph of water”: Suggests imitation, stillness, and the idea that what we perceive may not be the full truth.
3. Metaphor
-
“The outdoors seem like a room”: Compares a snowy landscape to an enclosed, intimate space, capturing how snow transforms the world into a cocooned, quiet place.
-
“The house was quiet as a telephone with no one on the other end”: Though technically a simile, it functions metaphorically, comparing silence in the house to a deeper, emotional void or disconnect.
4. Simile
Berman uses similes sparingly but powerfully:
-
“Quiet as a telephone with no one on the other end” — communicates not just silence, but loneliness and the breakdown of communication.
-
“The ice looked like a photograph of water” — compares frozen water to a still image, highlighting lifelessness and the loss of motion or natural flow.
5. Irony
There’s a deep irony in the speaker inventing a lie about something so serious — angels being shot — in the midst of a tranquil, snowy walk. The casual delivery of such a disturbing image contrasts with the peaceful setting.
Also ironic is how the child (Seth) demands a moral rationale for a lie that the adult cannot justify — a reversal of expected roles.
6. Enjambment
The poem uses enjambment—lines that break unexpectedly without punctuation—to mirror the meandering, conversational, and uncertain tone of the speaker:
I didn’t know where I was going with this.
This line is isolated, visually and emotionally, highlighting the speaker’s admission of narrative and moral uncertainty.
7. Allusion
Though not a direct allusion to a specific work, the poem alludes to broader Christian iconography (angels, purity, judgment) and pastoral imagery (the farmer, the field), evoking biblical and moral subtexts.
8. Minimalism / Understatement
Berman uses minimalist diction—short sentences, plain vocabulary, clipped lines—to underplay emotional weight. This understatement makes the poem’s emotional moments hit harder by contrast.
For example:
They were on his property, I said.
This flat, emotionless line encapsulates complex moral ideas—territorialism, justifications for violence—without elaboration.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
9. Tone Shifts
The tone subtly shifts throughout:
-
Starts with nostalgic and peaceful tones.
-
Moves to disturbing and absurd (angels being shot).
-
Shifts again to philosophical and existential (reflections on silence, genius, isolation).
This layered tonal movement gives the poem depth and emotional resonance.
10. Dialogue
Berman includes snippets of dialogue between the speaker and his brother Seth:
Why he asked. Why did he shoot them.
The lack of punctuation gives the dialogue a childlike, breathless feel. It captures the urgency and confusion of a child trying to make sense of an irrational world.
11. Juxtaposition
The poem juxtaposes:
-
Innocence vs. violence (snow angels vs. being shot).
-
Child logic vs. adult absurdity (Seth’s questions vs. the speaker’s invented rationale).
-
Stillness vs. unease (snowy tranquility vs. surreal narrative).
-
Small talk vs. genius (“traded a few words with a woman who might have been a total genius”).
These contrasts enhance the poem’s emotional complexity and highlight its thematic depth.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
12. Narrative Voice
The first-person narrator reflects in real-time, blending memory with spontaneous thoughts. The narrative voice is introspective, unreliable, and vulnerable, drawing the reader into an internal moral and philosophical conflict.
1. Innocence and Its Loss
At the heart of “Snow” is a meditation on childhood innocence and the moment it is interrupted or confused by adult distortions. The speaker is walking with his younger brother, Seth, and introduces a surreal, violent story into a peaceful, snowy moment:
“I pointed to a place where kids had made angels in the snow.
For some reason, I told him that a troop of angels
had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground.”
The contrast between what actually happened (kids making snow angels) and what the speaker says happened (a massacre of real angels) illustrates a key shift: the intrusion of the violent or absurd into the innocent. The speaker “for some reason” tells this false story, suggesting a spontaneous or unconscious urge to challenge or disturb the child’s perspective.
Seth’s reaction — asking “Why did he shoot them?” — is earnest and confused, a child trying to apply logic and morality to a world that seems to defy both. This moment marks a small fracture in innocence, where the boundary between reality and fiction becomes morally charged.
2. The Power and Fragility of Storytelling
The speaker’s spontaneous fabrication quickly spins beyond his control. He admits:
“I didn’t know where I was going with this.”
This confession is pivotal. It reveals that stories — even ones told in jest or on impulse — can take on a life of their own, especially when shared with someone impressionable. This moment captures the fragility of narrative control and the potential harm of careless storytelling.
Even his invented justification for the violence—
“They were on his property, I said.”
—shows how language and story can be used to justify violence, echoing adult logic used in history, politics, and power dynamics. This fictional farmer’s authority is established with just one phrase: he owns the land. The speaker mimics adult rationalizations, but the simplicity of the logic lays bare its absurdity.
3. Authority, Ownership, and Morality
The speaker’s explanation — that the angels were shot because they were “on his property” — introduces a major philosophical theme: how authority justifies violence.
This line reflects a broader human tendency to defend cruelty or injustice under the guise of law, ownership, or power. The idea that divine or innocent beings (angels) can be exterminated simply for trespassing is both surreal and eerily reflective of real-world events (colonialism, border politics, racial injustice).
“They were on his property, I said.”
The flatness of this justification mimics real-life legalistic thinking — how something terrible can be rendered morally “acceptable” by technical ownership. This theme echoes institutional power vs. individual morality, and the failure of simple logic to account for moral complexity.
Analysis of David Berman’s Poem “Snow”
4. Disconnection and Existential Silence
As the poem moves from the outdoors to the interior of the speaker’s thoughts, a tone of isolation and disconnection takes over. In the final stanza, Berman writes:
“And the house was
quiet
as a telephone
with no one on the other end.”
This metaphor of a dead telephone line beautifully conveys a feeling of emotional emptiness or failure of communication. It might suggest the speaker’s reflection on his relationship with Seth — a moment when he introduced confusion into the boy’s moral universe — and the inability to bridge that gap afterward.
The earlier line:
“Today I traded a few words with a woman who
might have been a total genius.”
reinforces the idea of missed or fleeting connections. The speaker acknowledges that even brief conversations may hold depth he cannot fully perceive. The “genius” here might represent insight, truth, or even human understanding — things that pass by too quickly to grasp.
5. Surrealism and the Blurring of Reality
Throughout the poem, reality and fantasy blur in subtle but unsettling ways. The transition between settings is abrupt:
“Then we were on the roof of the lake.”
This image is surreal — standing on a frozen lake described as a “roof”, turning nature into architecture. The lake’s ice is described as:
“a photograph of water.”
This is one of the most poetic and metaphor-rich lines in the poem. A photograph captures an image but not the essence; it’s frozen, lifeless. Ice being likened to a photograph implies stillness, artifice, and surface-level reality, hinting that much of what we see or say may only be an imitation of deeper truths.
This theme extends to the speaker’s story: the narrative of the angels is not real, but it shapes Seth’s understanding in a very real way. The poem is asking: what happens when the stories we tell become more powerful than the truth they obscure?
6. The Uncertainty of Meaning
There is a deep current of existential uncertainty throughout the poem. The speaker is not in command of his narrative. He is improvising. He’s unsure of his own motivations and unclear about the consequences of what he’s saying:
“I didn’t know where I was going with this.”
This line breaks the illusion of control and suggests that meaning — in storytelling, in relationships, even in thought — is often elusive, invented moment to moment. The story of the angels unravels not just for Seth, but for the speaker himself.
Even the interaction with the “woman who might have been a total genius” reflects this uncertainty. He recognizes potential depth but can’t quite access it — mirroring how Seth might feel about his brother’s strange story.
Conclusion
David Berman’s “Snow” explores a powerful range of themes: the fragility of innocence, the power of language, the absurdity of authority, and the haunting nature of silence and disconnection. Through a deceptively simple story, Berman constructs a layered meditation on the nature of storytelling itself — its ability to harm, confuse, or enlighten.
Each quoted line contributes to this overarching reflection on how we make sense of the world — and how easy it is to shape or misshape that sense through the stories we tell, especially to those still forming their understanding of life.