In the poem "Snow", David Berman uses a dramatic tone and a story like structure to show the innocence and oblivion of children. In the poem, the speaker tells his brother that the imprints of snow angels were "a troop of angels" that "had been shot and dissolved when they hit the ground". Through this image, the speaker conveys the idea that when we are younger, we will believe anything. We listen to those who are older than us no matter what they say. Throughout the poem the younger brother is intrigued by his brother's remarks, thereby revealing his innocence. "He asked who shot them" and the speaker says it was a farmer who shot these angels and their shape is all that remains. The reader understands the utter stupidity of this idea but the whole point is that the young boy follows along with this story enthusiastically. The poem continues saying "Why he asked. Why did he shoot them", continuing with the speaker's point that this boy's curiosity and oblivion are endless. The dramatic tone used by the speaker adds to this affect as he ends off this poem with "But why were they on his property, he asked", leaving the reader with a question mark as to what the speaker answered his younger brother although it is implied that the same type of storytelling will continue.
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