Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Maxine Kumin’s "Which One" is a powerful poem that confronts the reader with the unsettling reality of human cruelty toward animals. The poem’s speaker, consumed by anger and sorrow, seeks to identify the perpetrator of a specific act of violence—a discarded bag containing puppies and kittens thrown into harm’s way. Kumin uses sharp, accusatory language and vivid imagery to explore themes of culpability, moral decay, and the pervasive anonymity of cruelty in modern life.

The poem opens with a series of observational snapshots, as the speaker scrutinizes strangers in everyday settings: a driver at a traffic light, a woman in a checkout line, teenagers loitering in a parking lot. Each individual becomes a potential suspect in the speaker’s mind. This structure mirrors the fragmented and intrusive thoughts of someone haunted by an unresolved question, creating a sense of paranoia and moral urgency. The repetition of mundane scenarios underscores the idea that cruelty can be hidden in plain sight, perpetrated by seemingly ordinary people.

Kumin’s use of direct address—“which one of you”—is confrontational, implicating not only the characters in the poem but also the reader. The accusatory tone is further heightened by the specificity of the details surrounding the act of violence. The bag is “sealed with duct tape,” an image that conveys both premeditation and indifference. The puppies are described as “four or five weeks old,” evoking their vulnerability and innocence. These details force the reader to confront the calculated nature of the act and its devastating impact.

The poem’s midpoint shifts to recount the specific incident involving the kittens, thrown from a moving car into a snowbank. The visceral imagery—“the leg & tail of the calico one that lived”—captures the horror of the scene while also emphasizing the fragility of life. The survival of the calico kitten offers a glimmer of hope, but it is overshadowed by the speaker’s relentless need to assign blame. The phrase “if not you, someone flossing her teeth or watering his lawn across the street” expands the scope of accountability, suggesting that such acts of cruelty are not isolated but rather symptomatic of a larger societal indifference.

Kumin’s language throughout the poem is stark and unembellished, mirroring the rawness of the speaker’s emotions. The lack of poetic flourish reinforces the gravity of the subject matter, allowing the reader to focus on the moral questions at the heart of the poem. The speaker’s persistent search for the culprit—“I look for you wherever I go”—underscores the lasting impact of witnessing or learning about such acts of violence. This final line serves as both a personal confession and a broader indictment of a society that allows such cruelty to occur.

At its core, "Which One" is a poem about moral accountability and the unseen harm perpetuated in everyday life. By placing the reader in the position of the speaker, Kumin forces a confrontation with the darker aspects of human behavior and the ways in which they are often ignored or excused. The poem’s strength lies in its ability to evoke both outrage and introspection, compelling readers to question their own complicity in the injustices they encounter.

Kumin’s choice to leave the question unanswered is a deliberate one, reflecting the ambiguity and frustration of seeking justice in an unjust world. The absence of resolution mirrors the ongoing nature of the problem, reminding us that the search for accountability is as much about changing societal attitudes as it is about identifying individual perpetrators. In this way, "Which One" transcends its immediate subject matter to become a meditation on the broader implications of cruelty, indifference, and the urgent need for compassion.

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