The poem is three short lines that turn on a small disagreement. It opens with "barbaric yawp," a phrase that suggests a wild, untamed cry. Then comes a second voice: "you say the coyotes sound / as if they're fighting." The "you" is someone close enough to share the night with the speaker, and what they offer is a plain, reasonable reading of the noise.
The speaker doesn't argue. By starting with "barbaric yawp," though, they seem to hear something bigger than a fight: a raw, joyful, almost proud outcry, not simply aggression. Judging by the phrasing, the speaker is quietly amused and a little admiring, more interested in the wildness than in what it means.
The mood is calm and attentive, with a touch of humor. Nothing dramatic happens, but the poem captures how two people can listen to the same sound and hear different things. It also leaves us wondering which of them is closer to the truth, and whether the coyotes would care.