Poem of the Day: "Accountability" by William E. Stafford, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for July 11, 2014 is "Accountability" by William E. Stafford, Poet of the Month.  Mr. Stafford's work has been reviewed previously here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/04/poem-of-day-once-in-40s-by-william.html, where a brief biography and references may be found.  The text of "Accountability" may be found here:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171509.

Similar to Wordsworth, Stafford uses the plain language of the common man.  He uses some poetic devices--near rhymes and end-line rhymes, consonance, assonance, imagery, and metaphor--but only in the same way as a master chef uses spices--to enhance rather than to overwhelm.

In the second stanza of this two stanza poem, we learn that the children of the wintery Wyoming town are learning philosophy, religion, and even metaphysics.  In the first stanza we see what those children will become--truckers traveling from town to town and tavern to tavern.  The children are "hollow" as the "yellow" school bus--empty of knowledge that will be of service to them.