COVE

The meaning of Rubaiyat of a Scotch Terrier is revealed in the last stanza, where it is shown that the beloved Scottish terrier is dead and simply wishes his owners to think of him fondly. The stanza says, “And when that time comes, Master, if in vain/ I seek a paradise for Dogs, I fain/ (If, as some say, there's no such Place for me)/ Would dwell just in your Thoughts-and not complain.” The stanza is then accompanied by two pictures, one with the dog’s bowl overturned and leash hung up, and another image inspired by a photograph. This image, which will be the image investigated, shows the terrier in front of the viewers with his back turned in front of a pond with two swans. There isn’t a border over the image, and its edges are uneven like the border of a beloved photograph would be. This edition is meant for children, and this passage is an attempt to comfort them after their dog has passed away. It is the dog talking to the children, comforting them by telling them they are happy to reside in their thoughts alone. The part that says “-and not complain” is important because the dog whines throughout the edition. He whines to his owners to let him enter the dining room, when his owner gives him his food, to get his owner’s attention for pets, and to beg for a walk. But in this moment, the dog isn’t complaining. He no longer begs for attention because he views his life as complete and content.

The dog doesn’t want to live with his owner forever; instead, he wants them to remember him fondly. This changes the previous stanzas because once the reader knows that the dog is dead, every one of the dog’s previous actions no longer carries the same annoyance. The memories of the dog begging for food and chewing shoes now have a tone of bitter remembrance. This is the dog’s last request. To look back at the time the dog was in his masters’ lives and smile. That is why the last image is important. It isn’t an image that Sewell conjured up in his imagination; it is a drawing of a photograph of the real ‘Socks’ and his family at a park. The image doesn’t have a lot of details like the other images. ‘Socks’ fur is blurry, and the individual strands can’t be discerned like in previous drawings. The dog is more akin to a shadow haunting the page. The image also shows the dog’s back turned to the viewer, but the dog is standing. Although his back is turned, he waits for the viewer to catch up. This goes alongside the line “And when that time comes, Master, if in vain/ I seek a paradise for Dogs” where the dog talks about Heaven. The dog is literally waiting for the owner in Heaven to reconnect. The image also has two swans, which are a symbol of eternal love and loyalty. Swans mate for life; just like swans, this dog will wait for his owners for eternity.

This last image shapes the entire edition. It is a physical embodiment of Socks’ previous wish. The time Sewell spent at his desk looking at that photograph and drawing the image was riddled with happy memories of the dog. And when children flip to that image, they see the dog enjoying his life and are comforted because that is the last drawing in the edition. The edition doesn’t end with a picture of a dog bowl overturned, never to be used again. It ends with an image of the dog, alive and happy, at the park with his owners looking at a pond with swans. A dog’s life doesn’t end with death. That is the meaning of the edition, and that is the message that children reading it receive.