Critical Response to the poem “Curiosity” by Alastair Reid 1. On the surface, Reid’s poem is about cats and dogs. But on a deeper level, it is about human beings. And on that deeper level, what does Reid have to say about the two different approaches we humans may take to the living of their lives? 2. In what figurative ways are the words “death,” “die,” and “dying,” here used? In the poem, is the cat that dies having the same experience that the “dead dogs” have? 3. What can you infer about the poet’s beliefs of: a. Intellectual curiosity b. Forging relationships with others 4. A personal experience where you the ‘dogs way out’ and perhaps, felt the sting of regret afterwards. For each question, compose, in critical-­‐voice, a paragraph of thoughtful and specific commentary answering each of the questions above. The following rubric should guide your responses. 9-­‐10: This text is skillfully composed. The content reveals that the writer has read the given texts attentively and sensitively, and interpretative statements indicate subtle thought. 7-­‐8: This text is fairly well composed. The content reveals that the writer has read the texts conventionally but reasonably correctly, and interpretative statements are generally defensible and mainly thoughtful OR The writing is excellent, but the content is underdeveloped. 5-­‐6: The text is adequately composed. The content reveals that the writer has read the given texts conventionally, but some observations may be questionable. Interpretative statements are generally defensible but may be occasionally skewed or simply incorrect. OR The writing is proficient but the content is underdeveloped. 3-­‐4: The text is inadequately composed (many mechanical/stylistic errors). A superficial read of the texts. Interpretative statements are indefensible or incorrect.