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On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs

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"On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs"
by Renée Good
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
FormStichic
Publication date2020

"On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs" is a poem written in 2020 by American poet Renée Good. Written while Good was studying creative writing at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia,[1][2][3] it is a stichic poem consisting of 1 stanza with 34 lines.

Themes and analysis

The poem contrasts the dissection of fetal pigs in a biology class, to "childhood understanding of faith and memory."[4] The piece is based around a world focused on education and loss; it blends memory, beliefs, science, life, and death into a singular heterogeneous work.[5] Critics reviewing Good's work following her death in 2026, such as The Economic Times and The Lagos Review, praised it for its vivid, intense imagery and precise language.[6][7] Of the poem's 34 lines, some are a singular word.[8]

The poem includes sections describing studying a biology textbook at an IHOP in the morning, childhood memories, and the religious texts of the Bible and Quran.[8] The final lines of the poem question the possibility of a god and science coexisting in parallel. In Jennifer Tisdale's interpretation, Good eventually concludes that what matters most is life from birth to death.[9]

In a piece for Religion Dispatches, Karen Park said that the work reminded her of sects of Christianity centered around the disciplining of the bodies of women and the mocking of "those who reject or move beyond its narrow aesthetic". Park believes the poem criticizes people who cling to that version of the religion.[10]

Reception

The work won the Academy of American Poets University and College poetry Prize for undergraduate students (also known as Academy of American Poets 2020 ODU College Poetry Prize)[11] in 2020.[12][13][14][15] The piece was the winner of 20 submissions and was selected by a guest judge, Rajiv Mohabir, a poetry professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.[4][16]

References

  1. ^ "'On Learning to Dissect...': Renee Nicole Good's award-winning poem goes viral; ODU links surface". Hindustan Times. January 9, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  2. ^ "Woman killed by ICE in Minneapolis was a mother of 3 and a poet". The Washington Post. January 8, 2026. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  3. ^ "Renee Nicole Good: Who was the woman killed by ICE in Minneapolis?". www.bbc.com. January 13, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Ulloa, Jazmine (January 9, 2026). "Renee Good's Time at Old Dominion Included an Award-Winning Poem". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  5. ^ "Quote of the Day by Renee Nicole Good: 'Life is merely...' - Braveheart's poem tells profound truth about human birth, death. Here's how". The Economic Times. January 10, 2026. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  6. ^ Singh, Muskan (January 8, 2026). "Renee Nicole Good remembered as a prize-winning poet — here's the award-winning poem she wrote". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  7. ^ Kan, Toni (January 8, 2026). "Award-winning poet Renee Nicole Good shot dead by ICE agents in Minneapolis". The Lagos Review. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  8. ^ a b Sol, Flint Del. "We need to talk about THAT poem by Renee Nicole Good". www.pivot-club.com. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  9. ^ Tisdale, Jennifer (January 8, 2026). "Here Is the Prize-Winning Poem Written by the Woman Fatally Shot by ICE Agents in Minneapolis". Distractify. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  10. ^ "Thrift-Store Bibles and the Execution of Renee Good". Religion Dispatches. January 15, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  11. ^ "Woman killed in Minneapolis ICE shooting studied English at Old Dominion University". 13newsnow.com. January 7, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  12. ^ Simon, Scott (January 10, 2026). "Opinion: Remembering Renee Good". NPR. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  13. ^ Diamond, Jonny (January 30, 2026). "Renee Nicole Good, murdered by ICE, was a prize-winning poet. Here's that poem". Literary Hub. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  14. ^ "The 'amazing' poet mother of three shot dead by ICE agents in 'public execution'". The Independent. January 8, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  15. ^ Luscombe, Richard (January 8, 2026). "'Poet, writer, wife, mom': who was Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  16. ^ "Renee Nicole Good's award-winning poem: Read in full". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 9, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
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