Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Robert Wrigley’s "Religion" is a poignant exploration of attachment, memory, and mortality, seen through the lens of an aging dog and her enigmatic relationship with an abandoned shoe. With its mix of gentle humor and deep emotional resonance, the poem examines the small, often overlooked rituals and connections that give meaning to existence, both human and animal.

The poem begins with the description of the old dog returning from the woods with "a man?s dress shoe, a black, still-shiny wing-tip." The specificity of the shoe’s description—"black, still-shiny"—implies its surprising preservation, contrasting with the image of the dog as a creature nearing the end of her life. The speaker’s initial reaction—"I feared at first a foot might be in it"—adds a touch of dark humor, reflecting a moment of tension and unease. This humor quickly dissolves when the shoe is revealed to be "just an ordinary shoe," though its appearance immediately suggests a story untold, an absence as palpable as the missing foot itself.

The dog’s role as a retriever adds another layer of significance to the shoe. Her soft mouth, "skilled at returning ducks and geese," ensures that the shoe remains intact, almost pristine. The juxtaposition of the dog’s utilitarian training with the seemingly purposeless retrieval of this "rescued / or stolen odd shoe" underscores the mysterious nature of her actions. The shoe becomes both a relic of her instinctual behavior and a symbol of something more profound—a connection to the past, to her purpose, and perhaps to an unseen presence.

Wrigley’s attention to detail extends to the speaker’s consideration of the shoe’s potential use: "I might have given it / to a one-legged friend / but all of them dressed their prostheses too." This moment introduces a thread of absurdity while also acknowledging the limitations of repurposing the shoe. The speaker’s thought process reflects a mix of practicality and empathy, but ultimately, the shoe is left without a purpose, much like the dog herself as she nears the end of her life.

As the poem progresses, the shoe transforms from a mere object into something almost sacred for the dog. The speaker observes how the dog treats the shoe as a "friend, almost," sleeping near it and "nosing it whenever she passed." This behavior imbues the shoe with a sense of significance, as though it represents something the dog seeks or remembers. The repetition of her attention to the shoe—"as though checking it to see if, / in her absence, that mysterious, familiar, / missing foot, might not have come again"—reveals a poignant longing. The dog’s actions suggest a ritual, a quiet form of devotion or hope that aligns with the poem’s title, "Religion."

The title itself invites multiple interpretations. On one level, the dog’s attachment to the shoe can be seen as an act of faith, a belief in the possibility of something lost returning or being restored. The shoe becomes a stand-in for a missing presence, much like a relic or icon in religious practice. On another level, the title may reflect the speaker’s recognition of the rituals and attachments that define both human and animal lives, even in their most ordinary forms.

Wrigley’s free verse structure and unadorned language allow the narrative to unfold naturally, mirroring the quiet observations and reflections of the speaker. The tone is tender and introspective, balancing humor with an underlying sense of melancholy. The imagery is grounded in the tangible—the shoe, the dog’s actions—but opens into deeper emotional and philosophical territory as the poem progresses.

"Religion" is a meditation on the small acts of connection and faith that imbue life with meaning, even in its final stages. Through the story of an old dog and her relationship with an abandoned shoe, Robert Wrigley explores themes of memory, loss, and devotion, reminding us of the quiet rituals that sustain us. The poem’s delicate interplay of humor and pathos captures the essence of attachment, leaving readers with a profound sense of the enduring bonds that define existence.

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