Literary Analysis: This poem captures the novel's essence by displaying how adamant the narrator, or Holden, is about his opinions and then not knowing the reason why he feels that way. The poem begins with "I won't Dance- don't ask me." This statement shows that the narrator has already made up his mind; the reader is not invited to ask him anything, because his decision is made up. He "didn't feel like it." In the poem, when he begins to consider why he will not dance, he does not know. "I can't understand./ How the hell should I know why?" he says. His opinions are surface-level and he will not explain himself.
I won’t Dance – don’t ask me.
I didn’t feel like it.
You want to know the truth?
I NEVER DANCE!
It wasn’t anything physical.
I can’t understand.
How the hell should I know why?
It was very phony -
PHONY!I’m too big to dance. Arranged by Jane Smith
Literary Analysis: This poem captures the novel's essence by displaying how adamant the narrator, or Holden, is about his opinions and then not knowing the reason why he feels that way. The poem begins with "I won't Dance- don't ask me." This statement shows that the narrator has already made up his mind; the reader is not invited to ask him anything, because his decision is made up. He "didn't feel like it." In the poem, when he begins to consider why he will not dance, he does not know. "I can't understand./ How the hell should I know why?" he says. His opinions are surface-level and he will not explain himself.