Narrator, “As A Child, Sleepless”
The narrator of this poem appears to be an omniscient being, who is commenting on the events and happenings that he or she witnesses. The narrator describes possums and fawns as they sleep and are exposed, vulnerable. Then, he or she comments on the soldiers that he/she has witnessed, injured and buried deep in the trenches. The narrator then uses these observations to comment on the fact that sleep, though necessary for survival, is dangerous, as it puts all beings into their most vulnerable and unprotected state. In this way, the narrator aims to use the things he or she has witnessed to explain how sleep puts us into a state of intense and irreversible vulnerability, where we are open to attack and danger.
Narrator, “A Locked House”
The narrator of this poem uses a simple trip home to reflect upon the downfall of his broken marriage. He embodies the irrational fears that all of us have. For example, he opens the poem by describing a return-trip to house and expresses his fears that perhaps the house will have been burgled or burned to the ground in his absence. He then uses this to segue into his broken marriage. The house, which still stands, even two years after his wife left him. The irony, he points out, is the fact that the vandalism and theft were done to his marriage, not the house.
Narrator’s wife, “A Locked House”
Though she is never named or described in great detail, the narrator’s wife features prominently in this poem. She is likened to the house that the narrator worries over at the beginning of the poem. Though it is never stated why she decided to leave the narrator, it is clear that she left an emotional mark upon the narrator.
Narrator, “April Inventory”
The narrator of this poem reflects upon the changing of the seasons and how these seasonal changes reflect the changes of life. The narrator is a man and is presumably representative of Snodgrass, himself. The narrator, an educator of some sort, reflects upon the fact that, as the years have passed, he has gained weight and become less attractive. The narrator also comments on the fact that the young women he teaches grow younger and younger each year, and seem to be less attracted to him. In this way, the narrator appears to have a rather inappropriate attraction to and relationship(s) with his female students.
Girls, “April Inventory”
The unnamed girls in this poem are not the subject of the poem, but do feature prominently. Seemingly, these girls are the students of the narrator and are described as being rosy, blossoming, and attractive. These girls have drawn the attraction of the narrator and are used as a comparison to show how much the narrator has changed over the years.
