Books and Literature

Books, specifically poetry, are presented several times as a threshold between childhood and adulthood, innocence and experience, domesticity and inspiration. It’s a book of poetry that first attracts the speaker to the wolf, and she defines her experience with him as a “love poem” (Line 20). At the wolf’s home, the speaker is attracted to the rows of books on the walls. In engaging with them, she has her most powerful, passionate, and sensual experience. This gives her the courage to break free from her loveless partnership.

Avian Life

Birds also appear throughout the poem, often as a symbol of freedom or knowledge. They first appear as owls in the woods, hinting at a transformative experience to come. Later, the wolf eats a bird, effectively taking it away from the speaker. This represents his oppression of her knowledge and freedom of creativity. By...