"The Calf Path" by Sam Walter Foss is a poem that deals with many diverse themes and messages concerning the habits of society throughout history. The author effectively uses the techniques of diction and metaphors to show the progressions of societal mores and habits. This is evident in Foss's use of calves, dogs, sheep, and horses, which demonstrate that all walks of life practice his conferred themes regarding socio-cultural values.

The first theme explored in the poem is `everybody in life will leave something behind in which they will be remembered for', in the calf's instance it bequeathed a "trail all bent and askew." The writer is trying to convey the message that a calf - a young, naive, innocent creature will always stumble and even create "a crooked path as all calves do." However, they have the potential to choose which path they wish to create; `a...