The poem “I Do Not Love My Dog Because” by James S. Tippett beautifully expresses the idea of unconditional love between a person and their pet dog. The poet explains that his affection is not based on the dog’s talents, good manners, or protective nature. Instead, the true reason for his love is the special bond they share “I’m his and he is mine.” The poem highlights the purity of relationships that are built on love, trust, and belonging, rather than usefulness. Through simple language and a clear message, the poet teaches us that real love goes beyond benefits and is rooted in mutual care and loyalty.
I do not love my dog because
He’s good at doing tricks,
Like standing on his two hind feet
or fetching balls or sticks.
I do not love my dog because
He is gentle and polite,
And barks to drive away the things
That prowl around at night.
I do not love my dog because
He really is quite fine,
But oh, I love my dog because
I’m his and he is mine.
- James S. Tippett
Chapter Explanation
The poem by James S. Tippett is about the deep love between a person and their dog. The poet explains that his love is not based on the dog’s qualities, talents, or usefulness, but on the special bond they share.
Stanza-wise Explanation
1st Stanza:
The poet says he does not love his dog just because the dog can do tricks like standing on two hind legs or fetching balls and sticks. These things are fun, but they are not the reason for his love.
2nd Stanza:
He also does not love the dog because it is gentle, polite, or obedient. Good behavior is nice, but that is not the main reason for affection.
3rd Stanza:
The dog even protects the house by barking at night to drive away strangers or animals. Still, the poet says this is not the reason he loves his pet.
4th Stanza (Conclusion):
Finally, the poet reveals the real reason: he loves his dog simply because they belong to each other. The love is mutual the poet feels he is the dog’s, and the dog is his. This shows true love and friendship.
Summary in English
The poem “I Do Not Love My Dog Because” by James S. Tippett explains the unconditional bond between a person and his dog. The poet clearly says that his love is not because of the dog’s talents, like doing tricks or fetching sticks. He also does not love him only for being gentle, polite, or guarding the house at night. The real reason for his love is much deeper he loves his dog because they belong to each other. This poem teaches us that true love is not based on usefulness or qualities, but on loyalty, trust, and togetherness.
सारांश (Hindi Summary)
जेम्स एस. टिपेट द्वारा लिखी गई कविता “I Do Not Love My Dog Because” कवि और उसके कुत्ते के बीच निःस्वार्थ प्रेम को दर्शाती है। कवि कहता है कि वह अपने कुत्ते से इसलिए प्रेम नहीं करता क्योंकि वह करतब दिखाता है या लकड़ी और गेंद लाकर देता है। वह इसलिए भी प्रेम नहीं करता कि कुत्ता सभ्य, नम्र है या रात में घर की रखवाली करता है। असली कारण यह है कि कवि अपने कुत्ते को इसलिए प्रेम करता है क्योंकि वे एक-दूसरे के हैं। यह कविता सिखाती है कि सच्चा प्रेम किसी लाभ या गुण पर नहीं, बल्कि विश्वास, निष्ठा और अपनापन पर आधारित होता है।
Solution
Listen and Repeat
ball dog fine
call fog dine
ball log mine
Word Power
A) Match the following words with their meanings.
Word Meaning
hind legs to go to something and bring it
fetch clever actions
tricks to move quietly and carefully around an area
polite legs situated at the back
prowl showing good manners and respect
Answer-
hind legs - legs situated at the back
fetch - to go to something and bring it
tricks - clever actions
polite - showing good manners and respect
prowl - to move quietly and carefully around an area
(B) Find out the adjectives used for the dog in the poem.
Answer-
Good, polite, fine, gentle, faithful
Comprehension
(A) Answer these questions.
Q (i) What is the poem about?
Answer:
The poem is about the unconditional love between a person and his dog. The poet explains that his love is not based on the dog’s tricks, good behavior, or guarding skills, but on the deep bond they share.
Q (ii) Find out the rhyming words in the poem.
Answer:
The rhyming words in the poem are:
tricks – sticks
polite – night
fine – mine
Q (iii) What do you understand by the second stanza of the poem?
Answer:
The second stanza describes that that the dog plays an important role of saviour at night.
The second stanza describes that that the dog plays an important role of saviour at night.
Q (iv) Which stanza do you like most?
Answer:
I like the last stanza the most because it gives the true meaning of love. The poet says he loves his dog simply because they belong to each other “I’m his and he is mine.” This shows a very pure bond.
Q (v) What message do you get from the poem?
Answer:
The poem gives the message that true love is unconditional. Real affection is not based on qualities, usefulness, or talents, but on loyalty, trust, and togetherness.
B) Complete the following lines of the poem.
(i) He’s good at doing tricks,
(ii) He is gentle and polite,
(iii) He really is quite fine,
(iv) I’m his and he is mine.
