Introduction: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
“What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller was first published in 1996 in her collection Alive Together: New and Selected Poems. The poem delves into the unseen and unheard wonders of the natural world from the perspective of a dog’s heightened senses. Through vivid imagery and thoughtful questions, Mueller explores the limitations of human perception and invites readers to ponder the hidden marvels that exist beyond our awareness. The poem’s lyrical language and contemplative tone create a sense of wonder and appreciation for the subtle transformations that occur constantly around us.
Text: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
If an inaudible whistle
blown between our lips
can send him home to us,
then silence is perhaps
the sound of spiders breathing
and roots mining the earth;
it may be asparagus heaving,
headfirst, into the light
and the long brown sound
of cracked cups, when it happens.
We would like to ask the dog
if there is a continuous whir
because the child in the house
keeps growing, if the snake
really stretches full length
without a click and the sun
breaks through clouds without
a decibel of effort,
whether in autumn, when the trees
dry up their wells, there isn’t a shudder
too high for us to hear.
What is it like up there
above the shut-off level
of our simple ears?
For us there was no birth cry,
the newborn bird is suddenly here,
the egg broken, the nest alive,
and we heard nothing when the world changed.
Annotations: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
| Line | Annotation |
| 1. “If an inaudible whistle” | Introduces the idea of a sound that is beyond human hearing, setting the tone for the poem’s exploration of perception and reality. |
| 2. “blown between our lips” | Suggests a intimate and personal action, emphasizing the connection between the speaker and the dog. |
| 3. “can send him home to us” | Reveals the dog’s ability to respond to the inaudible whistle, highlighting their unique perception. |
| 4. “then silence is perhaps” | Introduces the idea that silence may not be absolute, but rather a relative concept that depends on the perceiver. |
| 5. “the sound of spiders breathing” | Personifies spiders, attributing a sound to their breathing, and blurs the line between living creatures and their environments. |
| 6. “and roots mining the earth” | Continues the personification of natural elements, emphasizing their agency and activity. |
| 7. “it may be asparagus heaving” | Uses a metaphor to describe the growth of asparagus, emphasizing its sudden and forceful emergence. |
| 8. “headfirst, into the light” | Suggests a violent or sudden movement, emphasizing the energy and vitality of natural processes. |
| 9. “and the long brown sound” | Introduces a new image, using sensory language to describe the sound of cracked cups. |
| 10. “of cracked cups, when it happens” | Suggests a sudden and unexpected event, emphasizing the idea that change can occur without warning. |
| 11. “We would like to ask the dog” | Reveals the speaker’s curiosity and desire to understand the dog’s perception. |
| 12. “if there is a continuous whir” | Asks whether the dog perceives a constant or ongoing sound, highlighting the idea of different frequencies or levels of perception. |
| 13. “because the child in the house” | Introduces a new image, emphasizing growth and change in the human world. |
| 14. “keeps growing” | Emphasizes the continuous nature of growth and change. |
| 15. “if the snake really stretches full length” | Uses a metaphor to describe the snake’s movement, emphasizing its sudden and complete transformation. |
| 16. “without a click” | Suggests a silent or smooth movement, emphasizing the snake’s ability to change without making a sound. |
| 17. “and the sun breaks through clouds” | Uses a metaphor to describe the sun’s movement, emphasizing its sudden and powerful emergence. |
| 18. “without a decibel of effort” | Suggests a effortless or silent movement, emphasizing the sun’s ability to change without making a sound. |
| 19. “whether in autumn, when the trees” | Introduces a new image, emphasizing the cyclical nature of growth and decay. |
| 20. “dry up their wells” | Uses a metaphor to describe the trees’ loss of vitality, emphasizing their dependence on external sources. |
| 21. “there isn’t a shudder too high for us to hear” | Suggests that there may be sounds or frequencies that are beyond human perception, emphasizing the limits of our senses. |
| 22. “What is it like up there” | Asks a rhetorical question, emphasizing the speaker’s curiosity and wonder. |
| 23. “above the shut-off level of our simple ears” | Suggests that there may be levels of perception or frequencies that are beyond human comprehension, emphasizing the limits of our senses. |
| 24. “For us there was no birth cry” | Reveals the sudden and unexpected nature of change, emphasizing that it can occur without warning or sound. |
| 25. “the newborn bird is suddenly here” | Uses a metaphor to describe the sudden emergence of new life, emphasizing its unexpected nature. |
| 26. “the egg broken, the nest alive” | Uses imagery to describe the transformation of the egg and nest, emphasizing the idea of sudden and complete change. |
| 27. “and we heard nothing when the world changed” | Emphasizes the idea that significant events can occur without our awareness or understanding. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
| Device | Example | Explanation |
| 1. Metaphor | “silence is perhaps / the sound of spiders breathing” | Compares silence to the sound of spiders breathing, creating a vivid image. |
| 2. Personification | “roots mining the earth” | Attributed human-like action to roots, emphasizing their underground activity. |
| 3. Imagery | “asparagus heaving, / headfirst, into the light” | Evokes a sensory image of asparagus growing and emerging into the light. |
| 4. Onomatopoeia | “the long brown sound / of cracked cups” | Uses words that imitate the sound they describe, creating a sensory experience. |
| 5. Alliteration | “whir”, “wells”, “without” | Repeats initial consonant sounds for a musical quality. |
| 6. Enjambment | Various lines | Carries a sentence or phrase over to the next line without punctuation, creating a sense of flow. |
| 7. Simile | “like the child in the house” | Compares the child’s growth to a continuous whir, using “like” to make the comparison explicit. |
| 8. Hyperbole | “stretches full length / without a click” | Exaggerates the snake’s movement to emphasize its silent nature. |
| 9. Symbolism | “snake” | Represents transformation, renewal, or stealth, adding depth to the poem. |
| 10. Repetition | “without”, “perhaps” | Repeats words or phrases for emphasis, creating a sense of rhythm. |
| 11. Question | “What is it like up there” | Engages the reader and encourages them to ponder the same question. |
| 12. Enigma | “above the shut-off level / of our simple ears” | Presents a mysterious idea that sparks curiosity. |
| 13. Irony | “we heard nothing when the world changed” | Contrasts the idea of significant events with the fact that they were not audible. |
| 14. Oxymoron | “simple ears” | Combines two opposing ideas (simple vs. complex) to describe human hearing. |
| 15. Personification | “the world changed” | Attributed human-like action to the world, emphasizing its transformation. |
| 16. Allusion | “birth cry” | References a common experience, evoking emotions and associations. |
| 17. Imagery | “the egg broken, the nest alive” | Creates a vivid image of new life and transformation. |
| 18. Juxtaposition | “the newborn bird is suddenly here” | Places two contrasting ideas (absence and presence) side by side. |
| 19. Caesura | Various lines | Uses pauses within lines to create a sense of drama or emphasis. |
| 20. Free Verse | Entire poem | Employs a flexible, non-rhyming structure to create a sense of natural speech and flow. |
Themes: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
- Theme 1: The Limits of Human Perception: The poem explores the idea that there may be sounds and experiences beyond human comprehension, highlighting the limitations of our senses. The speaker wonders what lies “above the shut-off level / of our simple ears” (lines 17-18), suggesting that there are frequencies or dimensions that we cannot access. This theme is reinforced by the image of the dog responding to an “inaudible whistle” (line 1), implying that animals may perceive the world differently.
- Theme 2: The Power of Nature: The poem portrays nature as a vibrant, dynamic force, full of hidden energies and transformations. The speaker describes roots “mining the earth” (line 5), asparagus “heaving, / headfirst, into the light” (lines 7-8), and trees “dry[ing] up their wells” (line 15), emphasizing nature’s vitality and cycles of growth and decay. These images highlight the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
- Theme 3: The Mystery of Change and Growth: The poem touches on the enigmatic nature of growth, transformation, and change. The speaker ponders whether the child’s growth is accompanied by a “continuous whir” (line 9), and whether the snake’s stretching is silent (line 11). The image of the newborn bird’s sudden appearance, with “no birth cry” (line 19), underscores the idea that significant events can occur without our awareness or understanding.
- Theme 4: The Intersection of the Ordinary and the Extraordinary: The poem blends everyday experiences with hints of the extraordinary and unknown. The speaker describes ordinary events like cracked cups and growing asparagus alongside more mysterious phenomena, like the dog’s response to the inaudible whistle. This juxtaposition highlights the idea that the ordinary and the extraordinary are intertwined, and that the world is full of wonders waiting to be discovered.
Literary Theories and “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
| Theory | Reference | Critique | Explanation |
| Phenomenology | “what the dog perhaps hears” (title) | The poem explores the experiences and perceptions of the dog, highlighting the subjective nature of reality. | Phenomenology focuses on individual experiences and consciousness. The poem’s title and content reflect this theory, emphasizing the dog’s unique perspective. |
| Ecofeminism | “roots mining the earth” (line 5), “asparagus heaving, / headfirst, into the light” (lines 7-8) | The poem portrays nature as vibrant and dynamic, challenging traditional gender roles and emphasizing interconnectedness. | Ecofeminism combines ecological and feminist perspectives. The poem’s imagery and language, which attribute agency to natural elements, support this theory. |
| Poststructuralism | “silence is perhaps / the sound of spiders breathing” (lines 3-4), “above the shut-off level / of our simple ears” (lines 17-18) | The poem blurs boundaries between opposites (silence/sound, human/animal perception), challenging binary thinking and fixed meanings. | Poststructuralism questions dominant structures and binary oppositions. The poem’s use of paradoxical imagery and language, which subverts expectations, aligns with this theory. |
Critical Questions about “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
- How does the poem utilize the dog’s heightened senses to challenge human perception of the world?
- The poem uses the dog’s presumed superior hearing to highlight the limitations of human senses. While humans rely heavily on sight and are limited in their auditory range, the dog is presented as being able to perceive subtle sounds like “spiders breathing” and “roots mining the earth.” This challenges the anthropocentric view that our way of experiencing the world is the only or most valid way. The poem suggests that there’s a whole world of sensory experiences happening beyond human perception.
- What is the significance of silence in the poem, and how does it contribute to the overall theme?
- Silence is not portrayed as mere absence of sound but rather as a canvas for a multitude of subtle, unnoticed occurrences. It’s the “sound of spiders breathing,” the unheard growth of a child, and the silent breaking of dawn. This reframing of silence as a rich and active phenomenon emphasizes the unseen processes of transformation and growth that are constantly happening around us, highlighting the limitations of human perception and our tendency to overlook the subtle wonders of the natural world.
- How does the poem’s structure and use of imagery enhance its exploration of the unseen?
- The poem is structured as a series of questions addressed to the dog, creating a sense of inquiry and wonder. The imagery used is vivid and evocative, appealing to multiple senses even while focusing on sound. Phrases like “asparagus heaving, headfirst, into the light” and “the long brown sound of cracked cups” create a multi-sensory experience for the reader, making the unseen world palpable and inviting contemplation of what might exist beyond our perception.
- What is the overarching message of the poem regarding human connection to the natural world?
- The poem ultimately invites us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world and acknowledge the vastness of what remains unseen and unheard by us. It suggests that by opening ourselves to the possibility of a world richer and more complex than we can perceive, we can deepen our connection to nature and appreciate the subtle wonders that constantly unfold around us, even in silence. The final lines, “and we heard nothing when the world changed,” serve as a poignant reminder of our limited perception and the transformative processes that occur beyond our awareness.
Literary Works Similar to “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
- “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop: This poem similarly focuses on the perspective of an animal, a fish, to explore the complexity and beauty of the natural world, and the human tendency to project emotions onto it.
- “A Blessing” by James Wright: Like “What the Dog Perhaps Hears,” this poem finds wonder in the simple, often overlooked aspects of nature, such as two horses grazing in a field, and suggests a deeper connection between humans and animals.
- “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats: This poem uses the song of a nightingale as a starting point to explore the relationship between art, nature, and mortality, questioning human perception and celebrating the beauty of the natural world.
- “The Snow Man” by Wallace Stevens: This poem delves into the idea of perceiving the world without human bias or emotion, similar to how the dog in Mueller’s poem might experience the world through its heightened senses.
- “Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins: This poem celebrates the diverse and intricate patterns found in nature, echoing Mueller’s exploration of the unseen and unheard wonders of the world around us.
Suggested Readings: “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
- Mueller, Lisel. “What the Dog Perhaps Hears.” Alive Together: New & Selected Poems, Louisiana State University Press, 1996.
- —. “What the Dog Perhaps Hears.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/154384/what-the-dog-perhaps-hears (accessed 14 June 2024).
- “Homage to Lisel Mueller and What the Dog Perhaps Hears.” Life Matters, lifemattersmedia.org, 23 Apr. 2021, .
- “What The Dog Perhaps Hears by Lisel Mueller: https://ahumblelonging.wordpress.com/2020/02/07/what-the-dog-perhaps-hears (accessed 14 June 2024).
Representative Quotations of “What the Dog Perhaps Hears” by Lisel Mueller
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “If an inaudible whistle / blown between our lips / can send him home to us” | Introduces the idea of a sound beyond human hearing | Phenomenology: Highlights the subjective nature of experience and perception |
| “then silence is perhaps / the sound of spiders breathing” | Explores the idea of silence as a relative concept | Poststructuralism: Challenges binary oppositions (silence/sound) |
| “it may be asparagus heaving, / headfirst, into the light” | Describes natural growth and emergence | Ecofeminism: Emphasizes interconnectedness and agency in nature |
| “We would like to ask the dog / if there is a continuous whir” | Reveals human curiosity about animal perception | Anthropomorphism: Attributes human-like qualities to non-human entities |
| “above the shut-off level / of our simple ears” | Suggests limitations of human perception | Existentialism: Highlights human limitations and the unknown |
