DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here: "The Victor Dog" by James Merrill Originally read: July 28, 2013 More information about the Poet: James Merrill Quatrains.  ABBA rhyme scheme.  The poem has ten stanzas.  The general gist of the poem is how a dog is trained to listen to music (note how to "feel" music) but this is not the main function of the poem.  Rather the poem goes through distinctive musical styles in which the speaker is able to play in the poem due to the persona taking more of the "judgmental role." The play starts with the first line, " Bix to Buxtehude to Boulez ," the play of just naming musicians through alliteration, but who is listening here, "The little white dog on the Victor label / Listens long and hard as he is able.  It's all in a days work, whatever plays."  The actions of the dog builds him up to a metaphor.  What type of metaphor?  The one that takes responsibility for the following play.  This is how th...