Essay Questions

Why does the narrator of “Descriptions of Heaven and Hell” feel that the Father’s laugh would prove his suspicions wrong?

The narrator of this poem finds himself trapped atop a rocky cliff in the middle of a vicious storm. The narrator is clinging to life and he feels quite convinced that—if he hasn’t died already—he most certainly is in Hell. Then, the narrator hears “my father laughs,” and this chuckle calms him. It is suggested that the narrator’s father is God and that the narrator heard God’s voice in his ear. Upon hearing God’s voice, the narrator is reassured. He realizes that God was laughing at the prospect of him dying or being in Hell, which must, of course, indicate that he was not dead at all—but alive and in the heaven of safety.

Why does the surfer that the narrator meets in “Ground Swell” prompt the narrator to reconsider his own worth?

The narrator explains that, while surfing and enjoying the beach one day, a strikingly beautiful and physically blessed man walked past him. The narrator explains that this man took notice of him and pointed him out. The narrator is shocked by this—by the fact that someone who is so noticeable, magnificent, striking, and attention-grabbing would notice him. In other words, the narrator perceives himself as being unassuming, plain, and non-remarkable. As a result, the narrator chooses to reconsider his worth; he feels that, if the surfer—with this beautiful hair and chiseled physique—took notice of him, then perhaps he is worth noticing. In other words, this anonymous surfer instilled in the narrator a sense of self-confidence and self-worth.

What role does music play in Jarman’s poem, “The Supremes”?

Music plays an integral and significant role in this poem. In fact, the bulk of his poem is dedicated to descriptions about the music itself—the rhythm, the beat, the soul. The narrator explains that music helped him to savor the summer. When he was listening to music by The Supremes, for example, the narrator felt that he was able to truly live in the moment and appreciate the present. Music provided the narrator—a teenage Jarman—an opportunity to savor his youth and appreciate the simple joys in life. In this way, music plays a very important role in this poem, for it is through music that the narrator realizes the value of living in the moment and appreciating life’s simple pleasures.