Almost everyone has had that terrible encounter with the last person they wanted to see in places like the supermarket, the dry cleaners, or the movie theater. What follows are some awkward moments of tense conversation as you look for signs of bitter remorse in your ex's eyes. Carolyn Kizer's poem “Bitch” describes such an encounter. The poem guides the reader to the reality of what really happens beyond the conversation while seeing an ex. Through the use of personification, diction, and tone, Kizer illustrates the speaker's conflict with feelings of animosity, repression, and the desire for reconciliation. The plot centers on a chance, but perhaps planned, meeting of two lovers. During the awkward meeting, the speaker fights an internal battle with his feelings. There's something inside her clawing its way out, and the pent-up bitterness threatens to force its way to the surface. Her repressed emotions are personified in the form of a disobedient dog, hence the name "Bitch". When the woman is approached by the man, she calls herself a dog by saying things like “don't start growling” (2). The command demonstrates that the speaker is trying to restrain his feelings as if he were trying to restrain a belligerent dog. She feigns a cold demeanor, and as her voice says one thing, the voice inside her becomes furious and wants to express her true feelings, but fears that her stability will be questioned. Throughout the poem, the speaker is trying to relieve the "Bitch" from within by convincing herself that the man is no longer a threat, but when the memories come back to her, it becomes more challenging. He begins to remember his past relationship in lines 19-27. The dog is not... middle of paper......feels insecure about himself. Coming to the conclusion that she is not good enough for him, he writes, “He couldn't have taken you with him/ You were too outgoing, too awkward” (28-29). In the end, much to the chagrin of the canine female, the human female controls herself and ends up speaking harmless words to the man: “Goodbye! Until we meet again! Nice to see you again” (33). The speaker's difficult encounter with her former lover is captured through personification, diction, and tone. Overall, the poem summarizes the internal conflicts that the woman endures while talking to her ex-lover. Reflects through the phases of the past and present. Memories of how they were together, of the present and how she feels about him. Never once did he express his emotions towards her, demonstrating the strong facade on the outside, but the dilapidated structure on the inside..