"A Fire Truck" by Richard Wilbur

1. The purpose of this poem is merely to express the feelings of the speaker as he watches a fire truck roar past him on the street.  It is evident from the language of the poem that he has been completely overwhelmed by the experience; the siren-blast "sends all else skittering to the curb" in the opinion of the speaker. 

2. "A Fire Truck" is wonderful poetry.  The purpose, which is quite simple, remains the focus throughout, and is completely fulfilled in that the reader experiences the passing of a fire truck with as much reality as the speaker did.  In fact, the speaker refers to his mind being blank, "purged of nuance," as if the fire truck had banished all thoughts and ideas, but also bothersome worries.  While reading and experiencing the poem, the reader, too, experiences a loss of thought about anything other than this compelling moment when the fire truck passes by.  Subsequently, it leaves a lasting impression on the speaker; "I carry you in my mind."  The reader, in turn, will be left with an impression of the simplicity of this moment that has been made extraordinary.

The use of stylistic devices also makes this poem very understandable and compelling.  Using metaphor, the truck is compared to an action, "blurring to sheer verb."  It is also interesting that the speaker hears the bell maintaining that "thought is degraded action!"  This observation suggests that the thought proccess is merely a somewhat useful, but inferior form of action that won't aid people like a fire truck might.  In addition, the adjectives throughout the poem become more evocative of the fire truck to allow the reader the same experience of the speaker.