The Last Wolf

TallMountain’s free-verse poem contains 28 lines broken into four stanzas. These stanzas vary in length—stanza one has eight lines; stanza two has 13 lines; stanza three has five lines; and stanza four has two lines. “The Last Wolf” explores themes about the destruction of both modern society and indigenous languages, as well as relaying a message the poet received from a spirit.

The first stanza establishes a contrast between the titular “last wolf” (Line 1) and the “ruined city” (Line 2): a post-apocalyptic San Francisco. Both are observed by the first-person speaker who brings together these two elements—the wild wolf and the specific urban location. The wolf seeks the speaker who visualizes the spaces through which he passes. The wolf is a force of movement, for he “hurried” (Line 1) towards the speaker. In contrast, the city is “standing” (Line 7) still in a stationary collection of broken things and “highrises [sic]” (Line 6) that have not fallen. The ways people are moved through space, such as “elevators” are “useless” (Line 8). This can be read as a) elevators as a synecdoche (a part of something representing a whole) for the entire city as useless, and/or b) alluding to the emptiness of the ruins and the lack of people to be moved.

The second stanza can be read in two parts: the wolf’s journey through the city and the wolf’s journey in the speaker’s building. Lines 9 and 10 describe broken machines—traffic lights “flicking” (Line 9)—that adorn the “ruined city” (Line 2). Lines 11 and 12 focus on the wolf’s specific movements and vocalizations. There is a natural “mystery” (Line 12) in the way he moves, which contrasts with the mechanized lights; his “gait” (Line 12) does not adhere to the same rules as cars. Furthermore, he is “baying” (Line 11), a “wild” (Line 12) sound as opposed to the mechanical “flicking” (Line 9) sound that accompanies the changing colors of traffic signals. However, both city and wolf exist in the “deadly night” (Line 13). The post-apocalyptic city begins to regain some wildness that is not there when wolves instead of cars pass through traffic lights.

Continuing in the same stanza, the wolf gets closer to the speaker. He crosses “blocks” (Line 14) and travels up one of San Francisco’s many “hill[s]” (Line 15) before reaching the building where the speaker is living. In Line 17, empty blocks are replaced by “empty floor[s].” Here, the location becomes more specific and settled—a “room” (Line 17) where the speaker sits. At the conclusion of the second stanza, the speaker’s “waiting” (Line 19) for the wolf’s arrival ends when he arrives at the “door” (Line 20), and the sensory emphasis changes from auditory to visual. The speaker has been listening to the wolf as he traveled a large distance and, in Line 20, he is finally close enough for her to watch. The observations switch from “heard” (Line 19) to “watched” (Line 20). This is the turn of the poem, the change in perspective.

In the third stanza, the wolf reaches the “bed” (Line 19), and the speaker describes his face. In Line 21, the wolf’s foot-based movement, “trotting,” stops. His motions become focused in his head, which he places on the bedspread. His “eyes” (Line 25) burn and “eyebrows” (Line 26) quiver. The description of these facial expressions both give the wolf some human characteristics, and develop the sense of intimacy between him and the speaker. They are physically close and quickly become emotionally connected.

The speaker uses their own spoken voice for the first time in the final stanza. They move from listening, to watching, to speaking: “Yes, I said” (Line 27). This is an affirmation further developed in the final line. The speaker asserts they understand the wolf’s message; they “know what [the others] have done” (Line 28). The others in this line—vaguely referred to as “they” (Line 28)—implies the people responsible for the creation and destruction of the “ruined city” (Line 2) of San Francisco. The completed action—what was “done” (Line 28)—is ending their very own civilization.