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Analysis Of Gerald Stern 's ' The Dog '

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Pain vs. Love in Gerald Stern’s “The Dog”
Gerald Stern’s ‘The Dog,” gives an unique look into a dog’s mind after death. The speaker is the dog, and he is able to reflect on his feelings towards the poet after his” death. The dog goes through emotional changes during his time of pondering, however, he comes to the conclusion of what he truly yearns for since his death. What he yearns for is what any dog looks for, but some pass before they get a chance to achieve it. Throughout his pondering, the dog uses several tones and imagery to express his hurt and longing for love from the poet after his death.
The dog’s choices of words create a depressing tone in the poem. The dog describes the terrible moments before and after his death with vivid language. He uses the words “shrieking” and “whistling dirges” to describe his painful cries which adds on to the sadness in the beginning of the poem (Stern lines 6-7). Shrieking is usually applied to someone who is in pain or afraid while dirges refers to funeral songs or someone in mourning. The dog is mourning for his own life and the suddenness of his death. With these choices of words, the tone darkens. For the lover of dead things, the dog describes the poet looking terrified by stating, “ I think his pencil must be jerking and the terror of smell- and- sight- is overtaking him” (l. 15-16). Jerking is a strong verb for shaking violently and with “terror” added in the statement, the tone comes close to fear. The dog’s tone changes

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