Skunk Hour Themes
Madness
The speaker said it himself! His "mind's not right" and it becomes more and more clear as "Skunk Hour" progresses. Because we don't find out this little tidbit until the last half of the poem, it s...
Isolation
First of all, the speaker of "Skunk Hour" is stuck on an island. We find this out right away. So his human interaction is limited to who's stuck there with him and, judging by the way he describes...
Home
Yes, the speaker of "Skunk Hour" knows the people of Nautilus Island. Yes, he lives there year-round while others come for summer then leave for the rest of the year. But while his permanent addres...
Society and Class
Thematically, this is not the most important aspect of "Skunk Hour," but it's one that's clearly there, especially from the beginning, so it's worth our attention. Social status also seems to be on...