This is a poem about childhood. The subjects she uses in the poem, such as Mickey Mouse, the puppy, and even Jesus as a kid, are symbols for childhood (Mickey Mouse) and even the loss of innocence (Jesus pricking his finger). This poem allows readers to analyze the lines and try to discover what Ruefle is trying to say in the deeper meaning of things. For example, when Ruefle writes “added gloves so his hands/wouldn’t terrify us,” she speaks to children, who might see Mickey’s bare hands as grotesque. It gives an indication that somewhere within Mickey Mouse, his creators have to hide the naked hands because they think they are unsuitable for children to see. When Jesus as a child plays with the nail and gets pricked by it, we encounter an allusion to his future crucifixion but also a symbol of growing up and losing innocence via blood. Ruefle presents the puppy in the next scene as another symbol for the innocence that Jesus has as a child. In reality, most of these things are presented as something that shouldn’t bother us as adults, but as children, we might be bothered. Ruefle downplays the foreshadowing of Jesus’s crucifixion by talking about his finger getting pricked and then him seeing the puppy to bring back that innocence.
“Sawdust” by Mary Ruefle
Apr 25th, 2017 by pang17