In the poem "Guilt," Jed Chambers works to draw sympathy from the reader and give them the message that hurting other animals is wrong. Although the poet used negative language in the beginning of the poem, the first line where he intimates that the narrator was having doubts about the death of the mackerel is line 31: "'Just a fish,' you claimed." <span>Unlike his friend, the speaker believes that the fish is more than "just a fish." </span>He puts a value to the creature, viewing it as a life that should not be wasted. The final two lines (34-35), "I tasted / guilt" further prove this theme. The narrator is regretting killing the fish. Unlike most people, he views the mackerel as more than just dinner; he has problem with the fact that the animal's life was taken so thoughtlessly. In "Guilt," Chambers does an excellent job of provoking thought regarding the value of animal life through effective language and a compelling first-person perspective.
