No matter the pull toward brink.
-- The Speaker (Line 1)

Importance: In the first line of the poem, the speaker sets the context as resisting the pull toward death. Death will come in its own time, and the speaker is more interested in fully immersing himself in his life. Since uncountable and plural nouns don't require an article, the lack of an article in front of the word "brink" emphasizes the word and suggests that it is infinite and all-encompassing.

Look, just this morning a vulture nodded his red, grizzled head at me
-- The Speaker (Lines 3-5)

Importance: The speaker issues the instruction to "look," which means not just to pay attention to what the speaker will say, but also to closely observe the world. Vultures are often associated with death due to the way they scavenge for carrion. The word "grizzled" signifies age, which (depending on the cultural context) can represent a fear of death. In this quote, a...