Looking for an exegesis on Richard Brautigan's short poem 'The Boat.' 
Are there any critical pieces out there dealing with this work?  Is
the werewolf in the poem America?  Did Brautigan ever address the
meaning of this poem anywhere?  Any guidance appreciated.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 06 Feb 2006 19:49 PST

I haven't found any critical writing on this particular poem (which is
named "A Boat", by the way).  The closest I got was a recording of
Brautigan's reading of the poem.

Let us know if there's anything more you can tell us about your
interest in this particular poem.


Thanks,

pafalafa-ga

---

Clarification of Question by mattdemaret-ga on 06 Feb 2006 20:47 PST

my interest is actually straightforward.  my son brought the poem home
from school (he's in elementary school) and asked me what I thought it
meant.  I dove in, but didn't satisfy myself that I really had a grasp
on the thing.  I'm a professional writer with advanced degrees, a
healthy dose of intellectual curiosity, and an apparent inability to
parse a poem meant for a fourth grader.   I remember studying
Brautigan in college, and I couldn't make sense of him then...guess
nobody out there can now...but his words do dance in a compelling
way...if you find any analysis, please let me know. thanks.