Love That Dog

This section reveals more of Jack’s character. Jack begins to yield, allowing Miss Stretchberry to anonymously publish his poems. He makes an innocent comment that betrays his blooming curiosity: “(And what does anonymous mean? / Is it good?)” (11). Readers don’t know Miss Stretchberry’s response, but they can assume she explains how “anonymous” is neither good nor bad. The fact that Jack wishes to know this shows that he cares more about his poems’ quality than he led on.

This innocence reemerges as he continues reading, particularly when confused. For example, after reading his second Frost poem—“The Pasture”—Jack doesn’t understand why Frost would spend time and energy writing things that don’t make sense. Jack concludes that Frost “has a little / too / much / time / on / his / hands” (21). Throughout the book, Jack questions why people read and write poetry. Poetry doesn’t appear to serve a practical purpose, but it increasingly draws Jack’s attention and influences his character development.

Readers also learn how much Jack loves his dog. After studying Valerie Worth’s poem, “dog,” Jack compares the poet’s imagery to his own dog’s characteristics. Jack demonstrates his feelings through an affectionate description: “That’s just how / my yellow dog / used to lie down, / with his tongue all limp / and his chin / between / his paws” (16). Jack cherishes each small detail, revealing the boy’s sensitivity; his genuine tenderness was previously shadowed by resistance.

Jack begins questioning what components make a true poem. He’s not convinced that his journal entries—responses to poems read in class—qualify as poetry. The publishing process affects his perception of his own work; Miss Stretchberry typing one of his poems on yellow paper validates his developing authorial identity. Jack even suggests improving the next typed poem by adding more space between the lines like he originally wrote it. Seeing his published work gives Jack the confidence to take more ownership of his writing.