Almost everyone has had that terrible encounter with the last person they wanted to see in places like the supermarket, dry cleaners, or movie theaters. What follows are some awkward moments of tense conversation as you look for signs of bitter regret in your ex's eyes. The poem “Bitch” by Carolyn Kizer depicts such an encounter. The poem guides the reader to the reality of what is really happening beyond conversation when seeing an ex. Through the use of personification, diction, and tone, Kizer illustrates the speaker's conflict with feelings of animosity, repression, and desire for reconciliation. The plot centers on a chance, but perhaps planned, meeting of two lovers. the speaker is fighting an internal battle with her feelings. There's something inside her that's trying to force its way out, and the pent-up bitterness threatens to force its way to the surface. Her repressed emotions are personified in the form of a disobedient female dog, hence the name "Bitch". When the woman is approached by the man, she presents herself as a dog, saying things like "don't start growling" (2). The order shows that the speaker is trying to hold back his feelings as if trying to coerce a belligerent dog. She pretends to have a calm demeanor, and while her voice says one thing, the voice inside her becomes furious and longs to express her true feelings, but fears that her stability will be called into question. Throughout the poem, the speaker tries to alleviate the "Bitch" from within by convincing herself that the man no longer poses a threat, but as the memories return to her, this becomes more difficult. She begins to remember his past relationship in lines 19 to 27. The dog is not in the middle of a paper...... he does not feel safe with himself Concluding that she is not. not good enough for him, she writes: “He couldn't have taken you with him/You were too demonstrative, too clumsy” (28-29) Finally, to the great dismay of the canine female, the human female holds back. her mood and ends up throwing innocuous words in the man's direction: "Goodbye! Good to see you again" (33). , diction and tone Overall, the poem summarizes the inner conflicts the woman endures while speaking to her ex-lover She reflects on the stages of the past and present. Memories of how they were together and the present and how she feels about him. She never expressed her emotions to him, demonstrating the solid facade on the outside, but the crumbling structure on the inside...