Anthology Poetry - "Night of the Scorpion"

"Night of the Scorpion"

Subject

This poem documents the time when the poet's mother was stung by a scorpion. It highlights the cultural differences of the 'peasants' and their religious beliefs and the rationalist nature of the poet.

Structure

This is a narrative poem so it is describing events. It is split into two stanzas:

1) Longer and follows the actions of the peasants whilst the mother is in pain

2) The mother's reaction to her sting (only a few lines long)

The Use of Imagery

"peasants came like swarms of flies"

• "swarm" = common-minded group, perhaps incapable of thinking for themselves (athiest's opinion)
• the peasants descended upon the house just like unwelcome pests

"the Evil One"

• emphasises the pain caused by the scorpion
• draws link between the pain and how the peasants think its origin lies in the mother's prior sin
• attributing the scorpion to the devil - may be seen as an overreaction --> the narrator may be using exaggeration to mock the peasants
• "diabolic tail" --> further emphasises the link between the pain and religion as this attributes the body part of the scorpion which inflicted the pain to the devil
• the personification villifies the scorpion as it suggests that it took deliberate action against the mother

"throwing giant scorpion shadows"

• indicative of the opinion the author…