Front Back Tags What is the title of Jeff Dolven’s poem beginning “I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold”? Selection selection metadata Who wrote the poem “Selection”? Jeff Dolven selection metadata Begin the poem. Recite line 1. I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold, and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine. By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles selection forward line Recite the next line after:

By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance. But I have been looking for that river all my life, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

But I have been looking for that river all my life, and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. The deer stood constellated above me as I slept, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

The deer stood constellated above me as I slept, and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside, according to the laws of natural selection. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

according to the laws of natural selection. The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred. The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine, and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, selection forward line Recite the next line after:

I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward selection forward line Recite the next line after:

is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward cannot flow back to favor any living thing. selection forward line Recite the next line after:

cannot flow back to favor any living thing. That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection forward line End the poem. Recite the final line. That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. cannot flow back to favor any living thing. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

cannot flow back to favor any living thing. is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine, and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred. The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, according to the laws of natural selection. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

according to the laws of natural selection. and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside, The deer stood constellated above me as I slept, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

The deer stood constellated above me as I slept, You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. But I have been looking for that river all my life, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

But I have been looking for that river all my life, where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance. It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine. selection reverse line Recite the line immediately before:

and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine. I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold, selection reverse line Recite stanza 1 of “Selection” (the waking vision: the deer with gold-tipped antlers). I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold,
and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine.
By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles
burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. selection forward stanza stanza_1 Recite stanza 2 of “Selection” (the imagined river of gold and the lifelong search). It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold,
where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance.
But I have been looking for that river all my life,
and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. selection forward stanza stanza_2 Recite stanza 3 of “Selection” (the true dream: the deer explains that the gold grows from inside). You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream.
The deer stood constellated above me as I slept,
and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside,
according to the laws of natural selection. selection forward stanza stanza_3 Recite stanza 4 of “Selection” (the deer’s martyrdom-and-selection argument). The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all,
and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred.
The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine,
and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. selection forward stanza stanza_4 Recite stanza 5 of “Selection” (the speaker’s objection and awakening). I would have thought endurance in this world, I said,
is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward
cannot flow back to favor any living thing.
That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection forward stanza stanza_5 This is the final line of stanza 1:

burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars.

Recite that entire stanza from its beginning. I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold,
and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine.
By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles
burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. selection reverse stanza stanza_1 This is the final line of stanza 2:

and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water.

Recite that entire stanza from its beginning. It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold,
where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance.
But I have been looking for that river all my life,
and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. selection reverse stanza stanza_2 This is the final line of stanza 3:

according to the laws of natural selection.

Recite that entire stanza from its beginning. You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream.
The deer stood constellated above me as I slept,
and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside,
according to the laws of natural selection. selection reverse stanza stanza_3 This is the final line of stanza 4:

and so I thrive, and so I am selected for.

Recite that entire stanza from its beginning. The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all,
and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred.
The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine,
and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. selection reverse stanza stanza_4 This is the final line of stanza 5:

That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke.

Recite that entire stanza from its beginning. I would have thought endurance in this world, I said,
is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward
cannot flow back to favor any living thing.
That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection reverse stanza stanza_5 Cross the stanza break. What line follows:

burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, selection forward bridge bridge_1_2 Cross the stanza break in reverse. What line precedes:

It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold, burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars. selection reverse bridge bridge_1_2 Cross the stanza break. What line follows:

and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. selection forward bridge bridge_2_3 Cross the stanza break in reverse. What line precedes:

You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water. selection reverse bridge bridge_2_3 Cross the stanza break. What line follows:

according to the laws of natural selection. The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, selection forward bridge bridge_3_4 Cross the stanza break in reverse. What line precedes:

The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all, according to the laws of natural selection. selection reverse bridge bridge_3_4 Cross the stanza break. What line follows:

and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, selection forward bridge bridge_4_5 Cross the stanza break in reverse. What line precedes:

I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, and so I thrive, and so I am selected for. selection reverse bridge bridge_4_5 Complete the exact first line:

I have seen a deer with ________, antlers tipped in gold selection precision Complete the exact second line:

and it was the most beautiful thing ________. that I can imagine selection precision By daylight, what did the antlers’ branches burn like? tallow candles selection precision In darkness, what did the antlers burn like? branching stars selection precision Complete exactly:

It could be that somewhere near there’s ________, a river of running gold selection precision Complete exactly:

where the deer, stooping its head to drink, ________. was gilt by chance selection precision Complete exactly:

and though the sun throws coins, ________. they sink out of sight in the water selection precision Recite the poem’s exact pivot from waking speculation to dream. You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream. selection precision Complete exactly:

The deer stood ________ above me as I slept, constellated selection precision With what did the deer speak? its golden tongue selection precision Complete the deer’s claim exactly:

I grow the gold ________, from inside selection precision According to what does the deer say it grows the gold from inside? the laws of natural selection selection precision Complete exactly:

The gold draws hunters to me, ________, drawn to me above all selection precision Complete exactly:

and meek as I am, I am the first and ________. most readily martyred selection precision Complete exactly:

The rewards due to the martyr are ________, greater than you can imagine selection precision Complete exactly:

and so I thrive, ________. and so I am selected for selection precision What does the speaker initially think selection means? endurance in this world selection precision Complete exactly:

and whatever comes afterward / cannot flow back ________. to favor any living thing selection precision Recite the poem’s final line exactly. That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection precision What is the large-scale structure of “Selection”? Five four-line stanzas (twenty lines total): waking vision; possible river; true dream; martyr-selection argument; objection and awakening. selection architecture Recite the opening line of each stanza, in order. I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold,
It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold,
You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream.
The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all,
I would have thought endurance in this world, I said, selection architecture forward Recite the final line of each stanza, in order. burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars.
and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water.
according to the laws of natural selection.
and so I thrive, and so I am selected for.
That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection architecture endpoint Recite Jeff Dolven’s “Selection” from beginning to end. I have seen a deer with antlers tipped in gold,
and it was the most beautiful thing that I can imagine.
By daylight the antlers’ branches burned like tallow candles
burning in darkness. In darkness they burned like branching stars.

It could be that somewhere near there’s a river of running gold,
where the deer, stooping its head to drink, was gilt by chance.
But I have been looking for that river all my life,
and though the sun throws coins, they sink out of sight in the water.

You might think this was a dream, but no: here is the dream.
The deer stood constellated above me as I slept,
and said, with its golden tongue, I grow the gold from inside,
according to the laws of natural selection.

The gold draws hunters to me, drawn to me above all,
and meek as I am, I am the first and most readily martyred.
The rewards due to the martyr are greater than you can imagine,
and so I thrive, and so I am selected for.

I would have thought endurance in this world, I said,
is what selection means, and whatever comes afterward
cannot flow back to favor any living thing.
That shows what you know, said the deer, and I awoke. selection whole_poem