Bitch (CAROLYN KIZER)
Now, when he and I meet, after all these years,
I say to the bitch inside me, don't start growling.
He isn't a trespasser anymore,
just an old acquaintance tipping his hat.
My voice says, 'Nice to see you,'
As the bitch starts to bark hysterically.
He isn't an enemy now,
Where are your manners, I say, as I say,
'How are the children? They must be growing up.'
At a kind word from him, a look like the old days,
The bitch changes her tone: she begins to whimper.
She wants to snuggle up to him, to cringe.
Down, girl! Keep your distance
Or I'll give you a taste of the choke-chain.
'Fine, I'm just fine,' I tell him.
She slobbers and grovels.
After all, I am her mistress. She is basically loyal.
It's just that she remembers how she came running
Each evening, when she heard his step;
How she lay at his feet and looked up adoringly
Though he was absorbed in his paper;
Or, bored with her devotion, ordered her to the kitchen
Until he was ready to play.
But the small careless kindnesses
When he'd had a good day, or a couple of drinks,
Come back to her now, seem more important
Than the casual cruelties, the ultimate dismissal.
'It's nice to see you are doing so well,' I say.
He couldn't have taken you with him;
You were too demonstrative, too clumsy,
Not like the well-groomed pets of his new friends.
'Give my regards to your wife,' I say. You gag
As I drag you off by the scruff,
Saying, 'Goodbye! Goodbye! Nice to have seen you again.'
Bitch (Carolyn Kizer)
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: Remember to QUOTE and COMMENT
Answer the questions which follow
1)a) What impression is given to us by the word “trespasser” in line 1 ? (1)
b) In what sense do you think the man was a “trespasser” in the past?
(You must relate his behaviour with connotations associated with this word).(1)
c) What type (not breed but for what use) of dog is suggested by the fact that it growls
at trespassers? (1)
2) The man the speaker of the poem meets may not literally tip his hat. What do you
think this expression means?
(1)
3) Explain the contrast between the speaker’s inner and outer self when she meets the
man.
(2)
4) We are told in line 11 that the “bitch inside me . . . .changes her tone”.
What was her tone before his “kind word” ?
(1)
What did her tone change to after his “kind word”?
(1)
5)a) What connotations about women do we normally associate with the word “bitch”?
(1)
b) How does the bitch in the poem behave differently from what we would expect of
a typical ‘bitch’ ? (lines 11-16)
(1)
6) The speaker says she is “Fine, I’m just fine” on line 15.
By referring to the imagery used in lines 13 and 14 explain whether she is really fine
or not.
(2)
7) On line 17, the speaker says that “the bitch inside me” is “basically loyal”.
In your own words, explain how she illustrates that loyalty in lines 18-23.
(2)
8) Explain how the couple’s attitudes towards each other are contrasted in lines 20-21.
(2)
9)a) What technique does the writer use on line 24 and what effect does it have on our
view of their relationship?
(2)
b) Where else in lines 25-30 does the poet use this same device and how does it affect
our view of the relationship?
(2)
10) Look at lines 30-31. Explain in your own words what the speaker in the poem thinks
about her husband’s new friends.
(2)
11) How does the poet convey to us the speaker’s hypocrisy in the last five lines of the
poem?
(2)
12) Explain what impression is created by the poet’s use of rhyme in the last three lines.
(2)
13) By referring to at least two details in the poem explain what kind of man the
speaker’s previous boyfriend is portrayed as.
(2)
14) This poem is a monologue and we find out quite a lot about the speaker in it.
What kind of personality does she seem to have? (Your answer must be based upon
specific evidence).
(2)
TOTAL = 30
Bitch (Carolyn Kizer)
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
Answer the questions which follow
1)a) What impression is given to us by the word “trespasser” in line 1 ? (1)
We are given the impression that he has strayed into territory which he is not
entitled to be in or that he has no right to be in; or that he has invaded territory
which he has no legitimate right to be in. (The territory is her personal space
where he had no right to be because he did not love her).
b) In what sense do you think the man was a “trespasser” in the past?
(You must relate his behaviour with imagery associated with this word).
He invaded the speaker of the poem’s space/life without having any respect for
her or honourable intentions. (1)
c) What type of dog is suggested by the fact that it growls at trespassers?
A watch-dog or guard-dog. (1)
2) The man the speaker of the poem meets may not literally tip his hat. What do you
think she means here if he is not wearing a hat?
He greets her/ nods to her/ acknowledges her.
(1)
3) Explain the contrast between the speaker’s inner and outer self when she meets the
man.
Her outer self acts politely/ friendly/in a controlled way (“Nice to see you.”)
Her inner self is angry/ hostile/ uncontrolled (“don’t start growling”)
(2)
4) We are told in line 11 that the bitch “changes her tone”.
What was the bitch’s tone before his “kind word”?
Angry/ aggressive
(1)
What did her tone change to after his “kind word”?
affectionate/ loving/ obedient/ subservient/
(1)
5)a) What ideas about women do we normally associate with the word “bitch”? (1)
Aggressive/ vindictive/ hurtful/ nasty/bullying to other women/ spiteful
b) How does the bitch in the poem behave differently from what we would expect of
a typical ‘bitch’ ? (lines 11-16)
(1)
She behaves in a servile/ slavish/ deferential way (“whimper . . cringe”)
OR she behaves in an affectionate/ loving way (“snuggle up to him”)
6) The speaker says she is “Fine, I’m just fine” on line 15.
By referring to the imagery used in lines 13 and 14 explain whether she is really fine
or not.
She is not fine. (1) She is desperately trying to curb her affectionate feelings for him.
This is conveyed through her imagery of trying to rein in the bitch – suggesting that
she is trying to restrain her feelings. (“Keep your [ie - her] distance”.) (2)
7) On line 17, the speaker says that “the bitch inside me” is “basically loyal”.
In your own words, explain how she illustrates that loyalty in lines 18-23.
(2)
QUOTE
She greets him every evening when he comes home, hurrying like a dog would to
greet its master.
She watches him lovingly when he is ignoring her.
She makes his food when “ordered” (instructed) to.
She only plays (probably relating to sexual behaviour) when he feels like it.
8) Explain how the couple’s attitudes towards each other are contrasted in lines 20-21.
QUOTE
She is fixated on him/ attentive to him/ intensely aware of him.
He is unaware of her presence/ ignores her/ pays no attention to her.
(2)
9)a) What technique does the writer use on line 24 and what effect does it have on our
view of their relationship?
“careless kindnesses” = alliteration (1)
It makes us think that he is offhand with her/ that even when he is nice or kind to her
he does it in an unthinking or unthoughtful or clumsy way.
(2)
b) Where else in lines 25-30 does the poet use this same device and how does it affect
our view of the relationship?
“casual cruelties” = alliteration
This suggests he behaved in a hurtful way towards her, not because he was being
vindictive, but because it was routine/ something he did with little emotion. (2)
10) Look at lines 30-31. Explain in your own words what the speaker in the poem thinks
about her husband’s new friends.
QUOTE
She thinks they are better looking/ more stylish (“well groomed”).
(1)
She thinks they are more confident than her. (“you were too clumsy.”) (1)
She thinks they are more reserved than her (“you were too demonstrative”) (1)
(2)
11) How does the poet convey to us the speaker’s hypocrisy in the last five lines of the
poem?
(2)
She says “Give my regards to your wife” which causes the bitch inside her to “gag” –
convulse as if about to be sick at her insincerity OR choke because the bitch wants
to run after him and show him the affection she still feels – it strains so much at its
leash that it gags or chokes. (It is therefore implied that she does not wish his wife
well at all as she still has strong feelings for him.)
Tone is calm and polite whilst inside she is in turmoil – she has to drag (pull hard) to
get the bitch (which represents her strong feelings for him) away.
12) Explain what impression is created by the poet’s use of rhyme in the last three lines.
“gag” rhymes with “drag” (1)
Both words suggest that the dog (ie her feelings) are pulling strongly towards him (1)
The words are associated through rhyme and they both suggest strong feelings of
being drawn towards her ex. (1)
The effect is dark humour because the ambiguity of “gag” – being sick or choking
due to the speaker’s cheesy/ sickening politeness linked to the sense of having a kind
of tug-o-war with her feelings which are drawn to him (2)
(2)
13) By referring to at least two details in the poem explain what kind of man the
speaker’s previous boyfriend is portrayed as.
QUOTE
 Exploitative or insincere (trespasser)
 “Careless kindnesses” – unromantic and unaffectionate even when being nice
 “Casual cruelties” – low level abusive
 Attracted by superficial details – “well groomed pets”
 Unfeeling – “bored with her devotion”.
 or any other
(2)
14) This poem is a monologue and we find out quite a lot about the speaker in it.
What kind of personality does she seem to have? (Your answer must be based upon
specific evidence).
Vulnerable – she still has turbulent feelings about a man who treated her badly many
years ago.
Unassertive – running to greet him from work and being “ordered to the kitchen”
Very emotional – he has married with children yet she is still so emotional that the
bitch barks “hysterically”.
Humble/ lacks self confidence – “She slobbers and grovels”
OR
“You were too clumsy”.
Or any other appropriate personality type so long as there is evidence.
TOTAL = 30
(2)