Essay Questions

What are the "flames’’ described by the narrator in the poem "Another Night in the Ruins’’?

The poem ends with the narrator comparing every person on this planet with a flame which burns brightly. This assumption comes after the narrator discussed the true nature of humans and how humans like to think of themselves as being much more that they are in reality. The narrator points out how humans like to think of themselves as being phoenix birds, capable of coming back to life should something happen to them. The narrator claims instead that we are the flames engulfing the phoenix bird, flames which disappear after the transformation took place. Thus, the flames in this poem are meant to represent the fleeting nature of humanity and how, despite trying our best to prologue our life, there comes a point where we can do nothing more than accept the cruel reality.

What is the rapture described in the poem bearing the same name?

In the literal sense, the world "rapture’’ has a deeply religious connotation. It is often used in religious texts to make reference to the moment at the end of the world when those who had been faithful to God and Christ will be taken from this Earth and put alongside Christ in the Heavens. This became in time synonymous with extreme happiness to the point of madness, caused by various religious experiences. In the poem "Rapture’’, the main word does not transmit the principal religious meaning. The word is used to transmit the idea of happiness and fulfillment but from a sexual point of view, making thus reference to the pleasure one feels during climax. Thus, the word ‘’rapture’’ is used in this context to emphasize the power of carnal pleasure.

What is Parkinson’s disease and how it is the illness described in the poem bearing the same name?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological degenerative illness which progress in time to the point where a person is no longer able to take care of themselves. While the disease does not affect a person’s mental capacities, it affects their capabilities to control their own bodies. The description offered in the poem concerning the disease is an accurate one when it comes to describing the main symptoms. The man in the poem is no longer able to take care of himself and needs to be feed by someone else. One reason why this may be true is that Parkinson’s causes extreme tremors and this makes it hard for a person to feed himself because he can no longer control his movements. Next, the man is also described as having little to no control over his bladder and needing to use a diaper as a result. Another symptom described here is the man’s forgetfulness when it comes to the basic functions of the human body, such as walking. However, despite all these symptoms, it is clear that the man still recognizes his own family and that his mental capacities are still intact.