Personal Response: “Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House”

 Personal Response: “Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House”

I believe this poem tells of the loathing that a neighbor has for the constant and repetitive barking of another neighbor's dog. It tells the story of how the neighbor is trying to do whatever he can to forget about the dogs barking and move on, however he simply can’t. Later, the narrator then starts to play Beethoven music on the speakers, while the dog continues barking. The neighbor then imagines that the dog is in the orchestra and is in fact barking as if he's part of the music. The poet turns the annoyance of the dog into a playful and humorous event, placing the barking dog into Beethoven's orchestra. The title is referring to the notion that if he had a gun in the house, he would most likely go next door, and kill the dog.

I personally thought this poem was funny. The comical nature of the poem is what lets it play out in such an interesting way, captivating the audience to keep on reading more. The title to the story is complementary to the annoying nature of the dog and is another humorous part about this poem.