From first reading this poem and from the title, the reader can assume that the 'him' in the story is the panther. Behind the bars perhaps at a zoo or some form of animal exhibit is the panther captured. Going to thee zoo, I never stopped to realize how this affects the animals living there. Being taken away from their natural habitat and everything they know to go to a locked up cage where they may be never be free to roam again. This is a sad reality that unfortunately many animals suffer through. They never get to experience running freely or picking a mate. It is also said that the animals pick up stressful habits. This can include "repetative movements, pacing back and forth, head bobbing, rocking, repeatedly retracing their steps, sitting motionless or biting the bars of their enclosure or themselves." We usually don't recognize this, because this is the only environment that we see them in. Going to the zoo is usually our only exposure to most of these animals. Being locked up all the time can have harming effects on all the animals. All they see are bars and never get to experience the beauty of nature. "As a child at a dream, at a jaguar hurrying enraged. Through prison darkness after the drills of his eyes." (1141)
When a child goes to the zoo, this usually creates a memory they will never forget. Seeing bears, lions, giraffes, and even jaguars is an incredible sight especially for a kid. To a child this is a positive experience, but to the animals it is horrific. Being locked up all day everyday, being fed at the same time everyday, and never getting to enjoy life the way you were meant to is something no creature deserves. This poem shows that animals are more like humans than we thought. It goes back to the time of slavery when blacks, like animals in a zoo were enslaved. In both cases they were enslaved for the enjoyment of another person. Before taking this class, I never thought to compare the treatment of animals to things that humans have experienced. Doing this has allowed me to look at them in a completely different light. I have realized that animals matter too and how we treat them matters. Regardless of if they are small, big, tall, or little they have rights just like us!!