Little Beast

“Little Beast” is love poem, or a so-called anti-love poem, written in the lyric form. It’s a lyric poem because it’s personal and emotional, and it’s an anti-love poem because it flips the traditional concept of a love poem on its head. It expresses Siken’s thoughts on a stormy relationship. In the profile on the Poetry Foundation’s website, Siken concedes that a boyfriend who died significantly influenced the poems in Crush. Siken insists that he is not the speaker of this poem or any of the poems in the book. Since Crush won two awards for gay poets, it’s reasonable to refer to the speaker as he, although Siken isn’t opposed to readers assigning the speaker a different gender. Siken’s speaker narrates a passionate yet violent romance with another man. The poem is a testament to a ferocious, energetic affair.

At first, the theme of violence is subtle. The presence of the barbecue and courthouse in Line 1 allude to flesh, bodies, and punishment. The aching radio in the next line hints at pain and hurt. By Line 4, the theme of violence is explicit. The speaker says the night is considering stabbing him and his partner and leaving their dead bodies “in a dumpster” (Line 5).