Doggy love

Yoko by Thom Gunn

             The love of dogs for their owners has always fascinated me, and this poem does bring out the pure love of dogs - if we can call it love. When we started to read this very interesting poem I immediately thought that this is an ordinary love poem. After a bit we all realized that Gunn put Yoko-his dog as the monologist. In a way, I see this as an ironic monologue where it shows the dog's honesty towards his owner; dogs honesty totally outweighs man's honesty. 

At last deep in the stairwell I hear a tread,
it is him, my leader, my love.
I run to the door and listen to his approach.
Now I can smell him, what a good man he is,
I love it when he has the sweat of work on him,
as he enters I yodel with happiness,
I throw my body up against his,
I try to lick his lips,
I care about him more than anything.

A very nice way of unfolding companionship, friendship, sociability, and love through Yoko's eyes. I find this poem very well written ; in a truthful way without sentimentality.


And here a dried old turd, so interesting
so old, so dry, yet so subtle and mellow.
I can place it finely, I really appreciate it,
a gold distant smell like packed autumn leaves in winter
reminding me how what is rich and fierce when excreted
becomes weathered and mild
but always interesting
and reminding me of what I have to do.

Through the scatological humor Gunn tries to focus on the outer world as opposed to his interior life. He applies this envelope of humor and sarcasm in this contemporary poem in order to reach to the audience in a very subtle way.