Shortly before his death, in 1995 David Ignatow described his thought process while writing “The Bagel” to Pacernick. Ignatow said that initially he did not intend for the poem to be humorously read, although he later came to realize there was humor in the situation. Ignatow wrote the poem when he felt he was “living a very limited and quietly desperate life.” The bagel, he notes “was a token” of his “hope for a larger life, a bigger, more varied life. A more open life.” In this way, the chase for the bagel can be read as a pursuit for this better kind of life. Rather than remain in the drudgery that forced their “annoy[ance]” (Line 3), the speaker is willing to fight for improvement, actively symbolized by their physical exertion. They’re determined to run after this goal, even if it means “[doubling] over” (Line 8) or “[bending] low, gritting [their] teeth” (Line 7). The effort is worth it—and it pays off.

“The Bagel” ends on an uplifting note. The speaker transforms something of a bagel, falling “head over heels” (Line 11), somersaulting down the street. Rather than chase after things they cannot control, they embrace forward momentum—their movement away from the static “stopped” (Line 1) feeling of “annoy[ance]” (Line 3).