In the Well

Andrew Hudgins, in his poem “In the Well,” adds suspense through an adventurous tone created by organized structure and rhyme, as well as imagery. The repetition of four line stanzas with the second and last line rhyming, creates a flow, that with the added imagery, allows the reader to dive into the experience of saving the dog with suspense. The first sentence already grabs the reader's attention, as they want to find out why the speaker’s father is lowering him down into darkness through a rope. With the imagery of the “blood, which spiked my mouth with iron” and the “wet fur” all add to the suspense the reader is in. These are abnormal situations that the reader’s senses cannot comprehend, so they are curious to find out why it is the speaker is in the well. Through these techniques of structure and imagery, suspense is created, which allows the reader to be lured into the poem and share the heroic experience with the speaker.