Ayrton Glasper
Ms. McGee 1A
16th March, 2011
Poetry Explication of “Weighing the Dog” by Billy Collins
“Weighing the Dog” by Billy Collins can be interpreted as a symbolic piece of writing.
Collins has creatively incorporated the use of analogy to give his poem an interesting and
unforeseen twist. The poem is written in the first person point of view, allowing the reader to
firstly, feel the awkwardness as the speaker attempts to physically weigh the dog, and then be
aware of the shift as the speaker begins to reflect on a past broken relationship. This switch from
a descriptive account of weighing the dog to the speaker stating, “…and I start to wonder if there
is an analogy here.” cleverly introduces the twist in the poem. Collins also utilizes detailed
imagery along with simple, easy flowing, and uncomplicated word choice in each line, to
enhance the tone of bewilderment within the piece of poetry.
In the first nine lines of the poem the speaker utilizes creative imagery through
constructive adjectives to enable the reader to visualize the “awkwardness” in trying to weigh the
dog. For example, “…as I hold him in my arms in the small bathroom, balancing our weight on
the shaky blue scale,” and “…easier than training him to sit obediently…with his tongue out,
waiting for the cookie.” You can almost perceive how uneasy the two must look trying to
accomplish the task in hand. The speaker states his analogy in the ninth line. It is here, as he is
attempting to weigh and calculate the dog’s weight by subtraction that he begins to reflect and
compare this mathematical equation to a previous “broken” liaison. Lines 11 and 12, “…I never
figured out what you amounted to until I subtracted myself from our combination.” illustrate the
change in the speaker’s thoughts and emotions. The reader can clearly feel the tone switch to
regret as he the speaker seems to realize that it was his fault his relationship/love failed; in line
13, “You held me in your arms more than I held you….” Collins artistically with the use of
analogy turned an awkward chore of weighing a dog on some scales into a reflective moment
about a regretful “breakup.”