Usually when I think of poems, I remember them having a
sentimental focus on a subject such as love or death, or maybe about a specific
person. This is probably because I see
poems more as an outlet to express feelings or describe one particular thing in
detail than to tell a tale like a novel or ballad would be better suited.
The title of this poem led me to believe that its subject
would involve people who thought that they had all the answers in life but were
actually far from the truth. I arrived
at this belief due to the improper grammar of the title, which may have
indicated the author mocking the intelligence of the persons mentioned. Upon hearing the next couple lines, I then
thought it may have been about seven people that would play pool for money at a
bar, the Golden Shovel. The next stanza
supported my original thought, adding in the fact that these people would ditch
school to attend their games at the bar.
The poem mentioned they stay out late, which is common practice of
younger people who frequent drinking establishments. Noting that they “strike straight,” I assumed
that they were good at what they did and won a lot of money off of the
profession.
My opinion began to shift a bit upon hearing the next two
lines indicating that they “sing sin,” and “thin gin.” This information caused me to think that they
were older people that have seen and done a lot in their lives so they recount
those experiences over the table, while consuming alcohol (also indicative of
older age). The last two lines threw me
for a bit of a curve, so I interpreted June as simply a successful month for
them in terms of their
winning. The last line for the most part
solidified my later thesis of them being of an older age and maybe even
becoming sick due to their hobbies and past ways.
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