a shuddering heart
-- Speaker (Line 3)

Importance: This quote introduces the inherent contrast of the man's tattoo which was intended to display his masculinity and strength to the outside world but cannot completely conceal the depths of his emotions. As a younger man, it is clear the subject of the poem was formidable and tough, and the somewhat violent imagery of his tattoo projected this image to others.

someone you had to reckon with
-- Speaker (Line 7)

Importance: Kooser emphasizes the virility of the old man in his youth and the elevated position he could have occupied in a society that prizes men for their toughness and traditionally masculine traits. He subtly asks the question of whether the man got the tattoo because he was already someone to reckon with or because he wanted to become one. He plays deftly with the idea of identity and how we express to the wider world who we are or would...