With the central theme of this poem being the underlying question of happiness, and the influence of the Black Arts Movement that can still be seen in the uncovering of history and the past. The description of dogs and syphilitic and humans as tubercular master goes back to the days of slavery. The common diseases spread throughout the slavery time was syphilis and tuberculosis and they were very prominent amongst slaves. The author is most likely was comparing the dogs to her ancestors and the “two-legged” masters to their slave owners. This line seems to tie together the acts of slavery in the past to the nostalgic present
