"Oh, Oh" a Successful Second Attempt

I have long been a skeptic of the 'Read Twice' method of understanding poetry; I have always believed that, for analytical purposes, a poem need only be read once with proper thoroughness. After reading William Hathaway's "Oh, Oh," I find myself rejoicing in the success of the 'Read Twice' method. "My girl and I amble a country lane," Hathaway brilliantly and simply paints a portrait of the true beauty of the countryside: most of this with the connotational naming--country lane. "moo cows chomping daisies, our own" Calling the cows "moo cows" adds credibility and character to the speaker as a man of the country--magnified even mores by the line cut, indicating ownership of the daisies being chomped. "sweet saliva green with grass stems." This is the part that lent itself to a second reading. At this point, I was convinced that the speaker was a cow and that this poem was about cow love. I realized upon a second reading, however, that Hathaway only suggest ownership of the daisies and that the speaker is chewing grass and observing the cows. The imagery thus far is brilliant. After this glorious setting is in place, dialogue kicks in from 'his girl.' The conversation slowly winds its way around their relationship: both in appreciation to the world they have, expressing dreams of a far off future that "loyally" include one another. It's all very delightful, until they "look/ eagerly to the road ahead. And there, poised and growling, are fifty Hell's Angels." This sharp turn in the final line of the poem rhetorically mimics my thought process in terms of existence: when I am surrounded on all sides by nature, I look to the trees, I listen to the birds, I feel the cool water of the lake, and when my perception is complete, my appreciation turns to concern--worry about the road ahead, paved with demons. Being somewhat of a religious wanderer, my concept of Hell's Angels (excluding the biker gang, with which I am all too familiar) is boiled down simply to 'demons,' but with a more understanding connotation: Hell's Angels could be the renaming of harsh experiences that will benefit us in that they are experiences. Anyway, Hathaway very clearly exhibits the harsh turn of thought on a beautiful day to the troubles that lie in wait on the road ahead, "poised and growling." This has been a quality poem, by William Hathaway, who is still alive at age 87 today. Congratulations, living poet. You made it.