When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Mythological References
- First epigraph: Joseph Conrad 's Heart of Darkness
- Second epigraph: Charon from Greek myth
- Lines 15-18: Canto 3 of Dante's Inferno
- Line 60: The River Acheron
- Lines 63-64: Heaven in Dante's Paradiso
Historical References
- Second epigraph: Guy Fawkes Day in England
Pop Culture References
- Lines 68-71, lines 95-98: " The Mulberry Bush" song
Religious References
- Lines 77, 91: Lord's Prayer