Do They Know?
Do They Know? - meaning Summary
Horses Sensing Their Triumph
Paterson’s poem imagines a horse’s awareness during a race. It describes the final, brutal stretch where both animal and rider strain, and suggests the horse feels the contest, the pain of spurs and sweat, and recognizes victory and acclaim as keenly as the jockey and crowd. The repeated question “Do they know?” urges readers to consider animal perception, dignity, and partnership between horse and rider in the public spectacle of racing.
Read Complete AnalysesDo they know? At the turn to the straight Where the favourites fail, And every last atom of weight Is telling its tale; As some grim old stayer hard-pressed Runs true to his breed, And with head in front of the rest Fights on in the lead; When the jockeys are out with the whips, With a furlong to go, And the backers grow white in the lips -- Do you think they don't know? Do they know? As they come back to weigh In a whirlwind of cheers, Though the spurs have left marks of the fray, Though the sweat on the ears Gathers cold, and they sob with distress As they roll up the track, They know just as well their success As the man on their back. As they walk through a dense human lane That sways to and fro, And cheers them again and again, Do you think they don't know?
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