The Bull Moose

The poem is written in free verse, which is unrhymed and unmetered. It has eight stanzas, with the first three consisting of five lines each; the next four have four lines apiece; and the poem closes with a single couplet—two-lined stanza. Thus, in terms of number of lines, the stanzas seem to be whittling down or descending, paralleling the journey of the moose from the forest until its ultimate end. The poem’s structure reflects its thematic concerns.

The rhythm and musicality in the poem come from its simple, powerful diction and clean structure. The words are filled with loaded verbs evoking a sense of velocity in the poem. Examples of such verbs are “lurching” (Line 2), "stumbling" (Line 3), “scenting” (Line 8), and “snickered” (Line 18).

Nowlan employs alliteration—the repetition of sounds—to create moments of poetic emphasis and also to infuse musicality in the poem. Phrases such as “pole-fenced pasture,” with its repeated “p” sound function almost as mnemonic devices in how they stick to the memory. Another example of alliteration is “too tired to turn” (Line 5); here, the hard “t” sound highlights the moose’s exhaustion and isolation.