Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Howard Nemerov's poem "Wolves in the Zoo" reflects on the disjunction between myth and reality, exploring how the stories we tell about animals can lead to their persecution and near extinction. Through vivid imagery and an ironic tone, Nemerov critiques the misconceptions that have historically surrounded wolves, ultimately transforming them from feared predators into tragic victims of human storytelling.

The poem opens with a striking visual description: "They look like big dogs badly drawn, drawn wrong." This line sets the stage for the poem's exploration of how wolves have been misunderstood and misrepresented. The description suggests a sense of distortion, implying that the way wolves are perceived by society is fundamentally flawed.

A legend on the wolves' cage states that "there is / No evidence that any of their kind / Has ever attacked man, woman, or child." This factual assertion starkly contrasts with the common myths and fears about wolves. Nemerov highlights this discrepancy to emphasize how misinformation has shaped public perception and policy towards these animals.

Nemerov then addresses various myths about wolves, such as the legend of babies being sacrificed from Siberian sleds and the story of Little Red Riding Hood. These tales, though compelling, are now revealed to be false: "now it turns out, so late, / That Little Red Ridinghood and her Gran / Were the aggressors with the slavering fangs / And tell-tale tails." By reversing the roles in these stories, Nemerov underscores the absurdity and baselessness of the fears that have led to wolves' demonization.

The poem laments the consequences of these myths: "now it turns out at last / That grey wolf and timber wolf are near extinct, / Done out of being by the tales we tell." The stories that have entertained and frightened us have had real and devastating impacts on the wolf population. The "tales we tell / Told us by Nanny in the nursery" have fueled a relentless campaign against wolves, leading to their near extinction.

Nemerov uses the metaphor of "young sparks" setting "forest fires" to describe how these stories have ignited widespread fear and hatred, turning fiction into a driving force for historical actions. This imagery powerfully conveys the destructive potential of myth when it is taken as truth.

The poem concludes with a poignant scene in the zoo: "Surrendered in happy Babylon among / The peacock dusting off the path of dust / The tiger pacing in the striped shade." This imagery juxtaposes the confinement and domestication of once-wild animals with their former freedom. The "happy Babylon" symbolizes a false paradise, where the remaining wolves live out their lives in captivity, far removed from their natural habitats and behaviors.

"Wolves in the Zoo" by Howard Nemerov is a powerful critique of how human narratives can distort reality and lead to the persecution of innocent creatures. Through its ironic tone and evocative imagery, the poem urges readers to reconsider the myths they have accepted and to recognize the real-world consequences of these stories. Nemerov's work is a call to acknowledge and rectify the harm done to wolves and other misunderstood animals, highlighting the need for truth and compassion in our interactions with the natural world.

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