As the short analysis using Hypothes.is suggests, Laura Gilpin's "The Two-headed Calf", composed only of nine lines, manages to explore profound themes such as the fragility of life, the appreciation and beauty of differences, and our complex relationship to animals.
Firstly, this poem can be read as a meditation on the shortness of life. The first stanza is clearly linked to the future ("tomorrow") and death ("they will find his body"); on the other hand, the second stanza is entirely grounded the present moment. It is filled with life and the quiet appreciation of what the present can offer, even for a fleeting moment. This contrast emphasizes the uncertainty of the future, that will eventually bring death, and lets the reader reflect on how meaningful the present can be, despite its brevity.
Another interpretation of the poem focuses on the beauty that the two-headed calf, despite or thanks to being a "freak of nature", finds in his brief life. As readers, we already know his destiny: tomorrow he is going to be dead, and his unique body will be brought to the museum for spectacle and for money by the farmers. In human eyes, his uniqueness is what dooms him, and his body will bring fear, disgust, or fascination. However, from his own point of view, his deformity is not a source of suffering: he is still being loved by his mother and able to enjoy the evening in the farm. More than that, it is precisely his unique body that enables him to get even more from that summer evening: by having two heads, he sees more stars than we all do. What humans label as a "freak of nature" is actually a source of unexpected beauty.
Moreover, viewed through the lens of Animal Studies, an interdisciplinary approach that studies humans' relations to animals, focuses on ethics and morals, and challenges anthropocentric views, the poem gains additional layers. By keeping this framework in mind, we can see how the author of the poem is critiquing human control over animals lives, especially when it comes to using their bodies for spectacle. Moreover, the author is also challenging anthropocentric views and giving subjectivity to the animal by writing about his perspective on the story. While humans see him simply as a "freak of nature" and as a spectacle to be used for profit, the poem centers the calf's calm and content appreciation of the world around him: his (known or unknown) uniqueness does not trouble him and does not diminish his experience of life. Instead, it allows him to perceive more beauty in the world than the humans that will claim his body will ever do.