A Dog Has Died

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1999

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Parallelism

Neruda uses parallelism, or the repetition of the same phrase or syntactical form in close proximity, multiple times within his poem. Repeating the same words in the same order creates a rhythmic and semantic effect that encourages readers to consider the multiple meanings and valences of the statements being proposed. One example of parallelism in Neruda’s poem is the repetition of the title with the general article “A” changing to the possessive “My” in the first line. Another is the immediate repetition of “I believe in a heaven […] yes, I believe in a heaven” (Lines 9-10). A semantic parallelism bookends the poem, with the first and last stanzas repeating the fact and finality of the dog’s death.

Repetition allows us the opportunity to consider subtext. For instance, the speaker’s pained, mournful, and wistful repetition of “I believe in a heaven” is a subtle nod to the comfort that idea of an afterlife offers the bereaved—so tempting that even an atheist can’t help but imagine such a place for his dog. Combined with the clear grief and regret that emerges over the course of the poem, the repetition also echoes with the mounting fear of death. Similarly, the poet’s repetition of the bare facts of his dog’s death in the final stanza anchors the poem’s materialist perspective, and reveals its incapacity to fully represent the sensual, emotional world of grief the poem has conjured.

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human characteristics to animals, is readily noticeable in Neruda’s poem. The instances of anthropomorphism are nuanced and discursive, increasing in depth and frequency as the reader moves towards the climax of the poem.

In the first stanza, the dog is described as just a dog. In the second, only hints of anthropomorphism emerge in description of the dog as having “bad manners” or existing in heaven (Line 6). However, these stay strongly rooted in the dog’s canine traits: “his shaggy coat […] and cold nose” (Lines 6-7). In the third stanza, the anthropomorphism increases subtly through reference to the dog as a companion and friend, not a submissive pet: The dog understands how to provide “no more intimacy than was called for, / with no exaggerations” (Lines 20-21). In these lines the poet begins to cast his dog as possessing human intuition, as if in control of the conditions of his companionship, instead of his master. In the fourth through sixth stanzas, Neruda continues framing his dog as possessing human reason: The dog wants to “make […] me understand […] with a look” (Lines 29-33) or to “ask […] nothing” (Line 36) more than he deserves.

The poem’s anthropomorphic take on the speaker’s dog focuses on emotional depth and intention. One can understand this as the speaker’s projection onto his pet, indicating the depth of emotional connection he had with the animal—an experience all pet owners can identify with. Simultaneously, this elevation of the dog to mental and emotional equality with humans allows Neruda to weigh the philosophical value of a canine way of life, and suggest it may actually be a better mode to navigate human existence than a human one.