The Unconscious Mind

The poem's main theme concerns the unconscious, or primitive, human mind, which Byrne initially introduces through the concept of "recognition." The unconscious mind recognizes, or becomes conscious of, something before the conscious mind does. It is the unconscious mind's job to recognize an idea or situation and to make the conscious mind aware of this thought so that the conscious mind can choose the best way to respond to the stimulus. Normally, as Byrne notes, the unconscious mind helps humans function on autopilot: it "walks the dog" and handles other mundane tasks of everyday life. As Byrne notes, it "cannot speak" because the human language functions are tied to the conscious brain. The unconscious mind can only function on its instinct and inform the conscious mind. Byrne underscores the effect that this primitive mind has on the conscious mind when she notes at the end of...