Hey Viking,

I think that poetry's really interesting because you don't need to "get" it to appreciate it a lot of the time.

So, this poem is sort of a character sketch of a con man. It's also an exploration of the fact that most people don't mind being used, and in fact some seem to set themselves up for it because it's all they know.

And so that section you are asking about... well, it's about people putting it all together a moment too late. Figuring out that they had just been taken for a ride, and resigning themselves to it. I guess maybe the curlicues and misplaced signatures speak to forgery. I'm actually don't have a clue what "the dollhouse" might refer to, but it sounds both ominous and offhand, which is what I was going for. Hm. The stanza ends with the innocent townsfolk realizing that this conman had just taken off with their wallets, but not really doing anything about it.

Oh, crazy. I like your read of "dollhouse", and that entire spin.

The thing I loved about English classes is that it's all subjective enough that what you say, if you mean it and support it, might well be correct. And so it's not so much you talking about a piece of literature, as you talking about your relationship with a piece of literature.

Which in my mind is so much cooler.

I've never seen Dogville, but will make an effort to. What's it about?

What's the current status of Perfect? I just caught the post in the Steampunk group now, too late, but am intrigued.