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  1. The poem "The Man with Night Sweats" explores themes of loneliness, mortality, and disease. The first-person speaker in this essay gives the reader a close-up view of a few instances in their life when they were dealing with AIDS. The speaker of the poem tries to console himself and fight off the anRead more

    The poem “The Man with Night Sweats” explores themes of loneliness, mortality, and disease. The first-person speaker in this essay gives the reader a close-up view of a few instances in their life when they were dealing with AIDS. The speaker of the poem tries to console himself and fight off the anguish with his bare hands, but their loneliness and sickness are evident in every line. He is alone in these moments, with no one to console him or assist him in cleaning the sweat-stained bedding. Despite never being stated, death is present in this poetry.

    The Man with Night Sweats Summary

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  1. Throughout the poem, the couplets and quatrains adhere to the same basic rhyme scheme: ABAB CC. The Man with Night Sweats Summary

    Throughout the poem, the couplets and quatrains adhere to the same basic rhyme scheme: ABAB CC.

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  1. The poem "I wake up cold, I who" focuses on vulnerability and loss as its main themes. It investigates the change from a past defined by tenacity and discovery to a current one defined by vulnerability and difficulty. The poem creates a striking picture of a person who is dealing with a major loss oRead more

    The poem “I wake up cold, I who” focuses on vulnerability and loss as its main themes. It investigates the change from a past defined by tenacity and discovery to a current one defined by vulnerability and difficulty. The poem creates a striking picture of a person who is dealing with a major loss of strength and facing an uncertain future. The reader is left wondering by the conclusion whether the speaker can overcome their weaknesses and come out stronger despite the circumstances.

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  1. Juxtaposition- The act of arranging two or more objects closely together or side by side is known as juxtaposition. It's frequently done to highlight similarities or contrasts between the two, to compare and contrast them, or to produce an eye-catching impact. The contrast between the speaker's currRead more

    Juxtaposition- The act of arranging two or more objects closely together or side by side is known as juxtaposition. It’s frequently done to highlight similarities or contrasts between the two, to compare and contrast them, or to produce an eye-catching impact.

    The contrast between the speaker’s current coldness and the warmth of their dreams is established in the first line. This emphasizes the sudden and unwanted awakening.  Although the speaker’s flesh is initially depicted as a barrier of defense, the term “gashed” highlights its vulnerability and prior injuries.

    Metaphor- A metaphor is a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two unrelated concepts. Flesh as Shield: This metaphor highlights how dependent the speaker is on their physical form for defense and fortitude.

    World of Wonders: This metaphor emphasizes the body’s relationship to introspection and personal development by describing it as a place of potential and discovery.

    Imagery- In writing of any kind, descriptive language that appeals to the senses is referred to as imagery. A feeling of unease and being stuck in the wake of powerful nightmares is evoked by the picture of a clinging sheet. The speaker’s weakened bodily and mental state is conveyed through the sharp sights of reduced and ruined.

    Enjambment- The poetic device known as enjambment describes how a sentence or phrase flows naturally from one line of poetry to the next. There is a sense of fluidity and urgency in lines like “My flesh was its own shield: / Where it was gashed, it healed.” because they are written without punctuation. This illustrates the speaker’s ongoing development and investigation.

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