A Rough Time
Each of us goes through a turning point in our lives. This time usually occurs during the
pre-teen early teenage years and it’s called puberty. Puberty has a profound effect on our
psyche and how we view the world. “Dickhead” by Tony Hoagland is a beautiful poem
that examines the introspection a pubescent male teenager experiences, as well as how
they might cope. It is evident to me Hoagland is arguing that puberty is a very important
period in a young man’s life. It is a place where identity is established. Unfortunately it can
be inherently vicious in the public educational structure.
We know that everyone has to go to school. This place is a breeding ground for negative
emotions and world views. The fact most everyone is going through puberty at the same
time can have people feeling left out (as in narrators case) or acting crazy full of pubescent
thoughts. The public education structure of being grouped together without close detailed
supervision, coupled with high hormones, the narrator is trying to say it isn’t a healthy
environment for everyone to be in. He said he felt, “Naked, and Scrawny” In the context of
the rest of the poem this seems to be a scary thing. Everyone else wears jockstraps,
symbols of an active and fit person wardrobe. The narrator is pointing out students who are
afraid of the changes that are happening to/around shouldn’t be. With proper guidance
there is no reason for the narrator to feel, “Naked, and Scrawny.” In today’s society there is
