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Angels—2004. Age 15​

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She surrounds herself with animals,

At night,

She becomes a creature of the dark.

She howls at the moon when she is alone,

And speaks with a foreign tongue.

She sees her elders.
 

Analogy:
 

She surrounds herself with animals,—

Who is “she”? The poet? Who else can it be? If “she” can surround herself with animals, it’s possible that “she” is in a forest or the wilderness where animals are abundant. “She” could also be at home if there are a lot of animals as pets, but “surrounding” yourself with “animals” would need a lot of them, and in the context of the title of the poem, these animals could be angels. The question is: What type of angels? Christian or modern biblical angels whose job it should be to help people and you, the reader, feel safe, or a different type of angel where the souls of animals are among them and greet you, the reader, when you need them? Are all angels good? Do all angels have the best intentions for their charges? What about angels from different religions? Or angels from the beginning of Christianity, where their job was to instil fear and respect in people and not spread love? What does this have to do with animals? Is this why “she surrounds herself with animals”: To be comforted in the presence of scary angels? What could be so scary at the start of the poem? Nothing has happened, yet.

 

At night,—

Now the poet has given us a time: Nighttime. Nighttime is usually reserved for sleeping or nefarious activities for all involved, so where are the angels in this case? Does this imply that the angels in the title aren’t the good kind that you, the reader, might know of? It’s also generally believed that angels are creatures of the daylight because that’s how people know they are safe: The dark, since the beginning of modern society, has been associated with danger, and the daylight is where civilized society comes out to play. What happens when the people involved aren’t civilized enough to understand that they need to stay indoors at night? What’s the worst that can happen? Will they be surrounded by animals big and small, safe and dangerous, while waiting for night to swallow the day for their true nature to shine? What else can happen “at night”? Will the nocturnal animals come out and hunt the poet for being outside in the open, or will the animals the poet has surrounded themselves with protect the night itself from the poet who has disturbed the pieces of the night? If the poet identifies the day and night, how do we know the day and night cycle is the same as it is on earth?

 

She becomes a creature of the dark.—

The poet becoming a “creature of the dark” could mean a few things, the most important thing being that “she” has succumbed to the animal urges around her and removed her need for protection. If “she” is the one that needs to be feared by the masses since “she” is associated with “the dark” now instead of the more acceptable light. The creatures that follow the “dark” can also be used as a metaphor for things that could be brought into the light under the right circumstances. “The dark” can also be a means for those around the poet to think about concepts not usually entertained, and as the “creature of the dark”, the poet will now have the ability to answer all of the “dark” questions those around them may have. What’s a dark question, you ask? It can be any question that might make others uneasy: By asking difficult questions, most people shy away from non-transparency because the alternative would imply self-reflection. Self-reflection that might not exist if the person isn’t comfortable with themselves asking and answering questions unfit for polite company, like the nighttime where monsters lurk in the shadows.

 

She howls at the moon when she is alone,—

Are we sure the poet wasn’t an animal to start off with? Why else would “she” howl “at the moon”? The poet could be an animal who howls, like a wolf or husky, or “she” could be completely insane. Either way, howling “at the moon” implies there is a “moon” in the sky. This could mean that this poem takes place on Earth or another poetic universe with similar celestial bodies. Does this mean there are similar beings as well, both real and imagined? What about the animals from line one? Or the angels from the title? This could help the theory that these angels might not be good, or at least associated with light compared to other angels, but this also asks the question of whether or not “she” is the poet, a bystander among the animals, or an animal herself. If “she” is the poet, “she” could know why howling “at the moon” is beneficial for her, or she could have turned into one of the animals she surrounded herself with to blend in with the darkness and remove herself from the light that could harm her safety of darkness in her otherworldly angels?

 

And speaks with a foreign tongue.—

In this line, the “foreign tongue” could be from the poet, or it could be from the animals the poet or she (whoever that is), or the “foreign tongue” could be from the moon and their celestial language in the poetic universe or the universe the poet finds themselves in. What do you, the reader, think would be said in this “foreign tongue”? Would this language be used for instructions for all who can hear, or would these be pleas in order for the darkness to return and remove the harmful light around the poet’s safe space with their animals and darkness after turning into a creature of darkness? What if this “foreign tongue” is the darkness itself and it’s calling to the poet and animals she surrounds herself with to make sure any messages are lost in transition. Why would this be necessary? Could the poet not want you, the reader, to understand the language of the poetic world so they could keep this to themselves? What if you, the reader, have your own language you can share with the poet? How would they know to reach you?

 

She sees her elders,—

Based on the analogies above, how would you analyse this line?

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What do you think? Do you agree with my understanding and symbolism? I’d love to know!

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What do you think? Do you agree with my understanding and symbolism? I’d love to know!

 

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