Imitation Poem Analysis of My life as a dog (Essay Sample)

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Imitation Poem Analysis
The poem 'My life as a dog' by Douglas Powell is an example of virtuosically flirtatious poetry in which he imagines himself as a dog. However, the central metaphor in the poem is essential in a world that is often filled with bitterness and other challenges. This view stems from Powell's involvement in fighting the stigmatization linked to HIV/AIDS. The 'you' in the poem represents the significant other. Therefore, according to the poem, although it might be complex or challenging to handle such an animal, it poses a challenge to the dog's owner on what they would do. The central metaphor in the imitation poem is similar to the original poem in which the bear represents something challenging that may seem impossible to overcome. Our imagination of the bear is often linked to fear and terror. The 'you' in the imitation poem represents the other person facing the challenge.
In the first line of the poem, if I was a dog, the only three things I'd chase, its literal meaning indicates selfishness by the dog. There is an aspect in which the dog is thinking about itself and its concerns. However, metaphorically, the line represents the problems or challenges that we often face from time to time. In most cases, we tend to view these challenges or problems as objects meant to destroy us rather than help build our character or behavior. Ironically, the line cleverly ignores the selfishness and self-centeredness of human beings. In the poem, self-centeredness and greed can be demonstrated by the dog's interest in objects that are of interest to it.
The first line of the imitation poem, 'if I were a bear, I would care about very few things,' is slightly more explicit than the original poem. The line's literal meaning is that the bear does care about anything else apart from its food, house, and owner. Although it is another case of selfishness and self-centeredness, metaphorically, it represents a situation whereby we often imagine that our fears and problems represent something worse. For instance, the bear is a representation of fear and the challenges that we face. However, the fear and challenges are borne out of something bigger. As pointed out earlier, the issues or obstacles linked to our fears may seem impossible to overcome at times.
The line 'someone would have to hold me when I got my shots' means that as a dog, the owner is responsible for maintaining or taking care of the dog when it is getting its jabs or shots. However, metaphorically, the line refers to Powell's fight against HIV. For many years, Powell has been involved in activism to improve persons with the disease. Being a victim of the disease, Powell has dedicated and written extensively on the subject. Furthermore, he has been involved in ensuring that people or patients deemed as vulnerable in developing countries worldwide get access to more funds to fight the disease. Some of his activism involves outreach programs in Kenya, where AIDS is the leading killer of children, and a significant number of children have lost both or one of their parents to the disease. These outreach programs have played an essential role in reducing the infection rate. Therefore, the line is a representation of such vulnerable people that have been battling the disease.
The corresponding line in the imitation poem, 'who likes getting locked up anyway?' literally means that nobody is comfortable being locked up for any reason. The literal meaning of the line is also associated with the freedom that is restricted whenever we find ourselves in situations where various circumstances confine us. Its metaphorical meaning is that we always tend to be locked up in some form of situation. In most cases, people undergoing particular challenges in life will feel that the problem has imprisoned them. This interpretation holds when we consider the element of fear. Many individuals who have trepidation about something will be held back due to fear or the unknown. To overcome, one will have to confront the situation and try to find a solution. After all, we are locked up because something happened in the past, and nobody likes to have their freedom taken away or limited.
The literal meaning of the line, 'I'd bark all night until you let me out is whereby the dog barks to the point that the owner is forced to release the dog. Although the owner is thought to be the one in charge, the following line, 'You'd have to let me out,' seems to suggest otherwise. However, its metaphorical meaning is geared towards what Powell has always stood for or raised his voice against. While the fight against the pandemic has been reasonably successful in the United States, Powell has turned his HIV activism to developing countries where the situation was dire. In some instances, the problem has been out of control, and the lack of efficient information or education to create awareness about the disease compounded the problem. Compared to the case where the owner has to let out the dog, individuals like Powell have made considerable effort to curb or reverse the situation.
The corresponding line in the imitation poem, 'someone would have to walk me just before sunset or sunrise,' indicates a situation where the bear is in absolute control. In some way, there is a sense of entitlement on the bear's part where they think that they are entitled to be walked daily. However, metaphorically, with the bear being the challenges that people go through, many individuals may feel that the challenges are in control. I believe that people have this type of mentality whenever they undergo specific problems, which is based on a fallacy. Like Powell's initiative to take action against the disease, we ought to apply some mentality to overcome our challenges and not let problems lead or dictate to us. Th