When we read the title of Lucie Brock-Broido's poem, our attention is interrupted by a small number "1" at the end of the word "Lion". Instinctively, we stop in our tracks and look down the page at the footnote, at first forgetting about the poem entirely and focusing instead on the small font that displays additional information. This text changes the way we view "Lion's Self-Deliverance" by transporting us from poetic language to academic writing, adding authenticity and authority to the poem, and literally shifting our focus from from the inside of the poem to the outside. I will explain the techniques used by footnotes to add to the meaning of the poem by comparing my interpretation of the poem before seeing the footnote and that when reading the footnote in the Vendler edition. This will aim to show that the poem is better suited without the footnote and that its presence deters more meaningful reading. Before that, however, I will look at footnote and poem techniques to help find meaning. The language a poet uses in a poem is what sets it apart from any other type of writing. We immediately notice by the rhyme, the metaphors, the similes, the alliterations and the metrical patterns that we are reading a poem, a work of art. We recognize that what lies before us is a portrait of a time, place, person or event that may or may not exist in our world and that to appreciate this literature we need only no need to know for sure what the details mean; it's up to interpretation. This is precisely what Lucie Brock-Broido achieves in her poem. She uses beautiful language to paint a vivid picture in our minds. She extracts her feelings through sentences like “Her body was…… middle of paper…… against the truth.” This takes away from the poetic freedoms available to Lucie Brock-Broido. In summary, the footnote takes away more than it adds to the reading of the poem. In conclusion, footnotes can be incredibly useful for validating and researching text. Authoritative language and placement on the page can impact our reading of a piece of literature. Nonetheless, Lucie Brock-Broido's poem, "Self-Deliverance by Lion" is a powerful poem that, when alone, is much more powerful and enjoyable. Because the footnote distracts the reader, adds unnecessary authority, and infringes on the poet's poetic freedom, the poem alone has more meaning. Although the footnote may add more emotion to the reader, it is not worth the price. Perhaps poems are meant to be works of art presented without any other text to interfere and distract the reader..