The Deer & The Salt Lick

While reading “Salt Lick,” by May Sarton I began to wonder if she used the deer as a metaphor for humans or men or just people in general. If so why did she choose deer and a salt lick to compare us to? You see, at first I thought the narrator was referring to just a deer and a salt lick. But, what do they represent?

The first stanza reads, “They come like deer to a salt lick, they come without fear, come from far and near to lick and lick.”  Who is they? This is what frustrates me about poems in general. They leave so much room for assumptions. Again who is they? Also, why do “they come without fear, come from far and near to lick and lick?” Why do they want the salt so badly? Is the narrator really referring to salt?

The second stanza states, “The salt, a mystery, the written word, not me.” Does the narrator mean that she doesn't know what the salt is that they want so badly? “The written word not me,” is the narrator saying that the words that have been written aren't her? If so I will ask, who is the narrator?

The third stanza states, “But the deer, you see, are confused. I, not the word, am used to fill their need like salt or bread.” My next question is, who is the narrator? Again, who does the deer represent? Why are the deer confused? I don’t understand what “I, not the word” is supposed to mean. “I” as in the letter? That sill means I right? As in the narrator?

So, I’m going to assume she is referring to the narrator. I am also going to assume that the deer are people in general. The “person” or “people” are confused and the narrator, “fills their need like salt or bread.” What is their need? Are “they” taking advantage of the narrator’s kindness?

“On some cold winter day I shall be licked away through no deer’s fault, there will be no more salt.” Here the narrator says “I shall be licked away…” do “you” (narrator) mean that you will be “gone” like the salt lick? “Through no deer’s fault,” this is where “I” as the reader become more confused.

Through the whole poem we read about “deer” coming to lick the salt. If it is not the deer’s fault then who could it be? Also how can there not be any more salt if the deer don’t lick it?

I chose to write about “Salt Lick,” because it is very hard for me to understand. I feel the narrator changes positions so much as well as the “deer.” I feel I had the response I did because I  understand. I believe that the writer wrote in riddles to make the reader read between the lines. This personally bothers me. Why can’t the writer just say what she means? Versus writing in riddles. Although this poem frustrated me I rather like it, after reading it several times I began to understand the meaning of it.  I believe her work would have not been published if she wouldn't have written in this manner, and I rather would prefer reading it this way.