“Woman, how would you be seen from the sky? » (20), Stephen Dobyns implies through this aerial metaphor a significant sexual encounter, illustrating the theme of his poem “Roughhousing”. Indirectly, Dobyns uses multiple references to elicit the graphic nature of rough sex. With an emphasis on “Rough,” the speaker provides visually appalling descriptions to eliminate any perception of deception. Therefore, through a mixture of contradictory dictions, harsh sexual allusions, and suggestive metaphors, Stephen Dobyns reveals perverse distractions to intensify and discredit the speaker's attempt to conceal pseudo-sexual mutuality. Dobyns' execution of contradictory diction exposes a disguise hidden by the association of sexual terms. innuendo and sardonic context. By introducing himself as a “weasel” (1), he not only seems to be referring to his superiority, but he is also describing his meager qualities. The speaker uses a double meaning when he applies this word to further describe himself as devious and wild. However, this inconsistency appears to be an attempt to hide any notable hesitation or nervousness about revealing the truth. After his contradictory self-references, he continues to illustrate his superiority by describing himself as a “bird eater” and a “mouse eater” (3). The speaker then seems to contradict himself once again by calling his hands "pink [rat]" (7), because he had previously defined himself as a mouse eater and now himself presents characteristics similar to those of a mouse. Therefore, the upper tone not only seems unstable, but also suggests fabrication. We can then assume the existence of a facade when Dobyns says “my domestic paws have taken off their gloves” (6). Not only in referring to his thinness... middle of paper ... our metaphors were long with a lack of punctuation, enjambment, while the approaching end seemed choppy and almost abrupt. Although at first glance the sexual act appears mutually lustful, the development of contradictory diction, stark sexual allusions, and suggestive metaphors allow for even more sexual means involved to be deciphered. Revealing a pseudo-obscene character, initially by referring to the woman as “pale” (4) and “a plantation” (2), the woman is perceived as pure and cultured. However, after sex, the woman is described as “pasture[e]” – wild and conducive to animal benefit (24). By comparing himself to a “snake” (5), the speaker directly alludes to and associates himself with the capacity for corruption. Therefore, one could assume that the speaker's inhumane penetration into rough sex taints an initially unblemished woman..