A Study of Reading Habits - Can't Escape Forever

Within the first two lines of the poem the narrator establishes that he used reading as a way to avoid the problems in his life (When getting my nose in a book/Cured most things short of school). He then goes on to explain that reading allowed him to maintain his sanity, while also providing a means for him to mentally deal with his issues. In the case of the first stanza the narrator used reading as a way to deal with bullies ("dirty dogs twice my size"). This sense of escapism has been shown in many other mediums, where a child envisions themselves as a superhero with more than enough power to handle bullies. In this stage of his life one can assume that the narrator read works based around a hero overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.

In the second stanza the narrator indicates that a significant amount of time has passed with the line, "Later, with inch-thick specs". This line makes a connection with the third line of the first stanza, "It was worth ruining my eyes". In other words, the narrator had read so much that he required thick glasses. The narrator then implies that he has moved on from heroic works to darker stories with lines, "Evil was just my lark:/Me and my coat and fangs/Had ripping times in the dark." The narrator no longer identifies himself with the hero, but with the villain. He may be reading these types of works to escape loneliness or social awkwardness. Villains are typically portrayed as cool, suave, and in control. The narrator further supports this by stating that he "clubbed women with sex" and "broke them up like meringues." These sexual acts gave the narrator a sense of empowerment. He was too much for women too handle, and they couldn't resist him. The narrator may have used this as a to deal with rejection. In real life women had power over him (through rejection), but through his escapism he controlled women whether they liked it or not (i.e. it's possible that he imagined raping women).

Again, the narrator indicates that time has passed. This time with the line, "Don't read much now:". The next few lines hint at what types of books he is reading at this stage of his life. These works are about common people, they lack the bravery and mystery found in the books he read in the past. As a result, these works remind him too much of his own life ("Seem far too familiar"). He no longer identifies with the courageous hero or the powerful villain, but instead with the cowardly clerk ("...the chap/Who's yellow and keeps the store"). This unflattering identification leads him to hate books. In the past books gave him the power to overcome the obstacles in his life, any problem he had he could solve by escaping in a book. But now the books only remind him of the problems he's facing. Thus, leading him to proclaim that it is better to drink his problems away ("Get stewed") since "books are a load of crap."