William stafford's poem "traveling through the dark" is his reaction to hitting and killing a deer on a dark road. the three poems that follow, john burnside's "penitence," robert wrigley's "highway 12, just east of paradise, idaho," and loren goodman's "traveling through the dark," are reactions to stafford's. although there is humor in two of these three (note the titles), all four are concerned with ethical issues. which poet's view resembles your own view of how you would react (or have reacted) if you hit an animal. What extent does environment and to what extent does cultural heritage influence the drinkers in these three essays?