Subverting Stereotypes
Out of all the job positions that have existed over the centuries, only two instantly conjure images of women invested with almost unrestricted authority and the capacity to inspire terror among those who contravene the laws within the fortress over which they hold domination: nuns and librarians. The truth is that not all librarians are women and even those that are do not fulfill the iconic image of the stern-faced whisperer of no hiding her secret beauty behind glasses and a hair bun. Likewise, for many, the image of anyone who enjoys reading poetry is filled with connotations of sensitivity and harmlessness. Both the librarian and the poet here fundamentally subvert such stereotypes through the presentation of being almost diametrically opposing images of those conventional expectations.
Making the Abstract Realistic
Poetry stands stark contrast to prose as the place where realism goes to spread its wings. Most people don’t look to verse for unambiguous descriptions of reality; those that do tend to complain the loudest about how stupid poetry is. This hatred is often merely a mask for a failure to “get it.” The theme of making what is metaphorical take on an appearance more grounded in reality is actually twofold: one, it is an assertion by the poet that literary craft he pursues is not intended to be a mirror of reality and, coincident with that assertion, that those who would desire it to do would likely be even more confounded and frustrated with the results.
Challenging Artistic Tradition
The poet’s claims toward the librarian are that she not believe and she does not understand. Such is the same criticisms leveled against institutions of tradition and convention by every artist in every creative field seeking to fundamentally challenge the rules. The narrative manifests elements of surrealism in which a dream logic is at work and things don’t have to make sense even within the traditions of conventional notions of abstraction and metaphor. The poem’s failure to explain the sudden presence of the dogs or supply any allusion or references points to explain away any ambiguities of their symbolic meaning thus lends support to the thematic argument that it is a celebration of artistic iconoclasm that inevitably is opposed by the force of tradition.
