In the Park

The grizzly bear in Kumin’s poem appears in Stanzas 2 and 4 and stands as a symbol for death. Bears, particularly grizzly bears, have been a common threat throughout literature and American history. Between 1850 and 1970, “grizzlies were eliminated from 98 percent of their original range. Populations plummeted from an estimated high of 50,000 to between 1,500 and 1,700 today” (“Grizzly Bear.” Center for Biological Diversity). A common threat, bears have often been hunted and killed for the sake of human protection, farm protection, and for the sake of farm animals. Today, it’s common practice to learn how to live with bears, rather than kill them.

Initially introduced in the second stanza with the true story of mountaineer Roscoe Black, the grizzly bear in “In the Park” represents an iconic symbol of the predator. Black, who was hiking, was mauled by a grizzly before he could respond or run away. Similarly, Kumin argues that death acts the same way. One is going about their life when suddenly, almost out of nowhere, death appears. What happens next is how one responds to death, or the grizzly bear. Rather than fight back, Black laid there quiet and still and felt the bear’s heart against his heart.