Habituation is the psychological phenomenon of a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations, also known as the “tune out” phenomenon. A person might consider the ticking of a clock in a silent room as annoying but as time passes, the person might not hear it anymore or it might become soothing to them. In “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House”, Billy Collins’s attitude towards the barking dog changes from being irritated by the incessant barking in the beginning stanza, but later transitions into accepting the dog in order to highlight that someone’s annoyance is another one’s masterpiece. During the first two stanzas of the poem, Collins’s use of repetition of the “neighbor’s dog will not stop barking” helps
