Literary Themes In Rain Of Statues By Sarah Lindsay

The Mithridatic Wars were fought during the first century BC between Rome and the Kingdom of Pontus, ruled by King Mithridates VI. Mithridates was betrayed by his own son, and the Kingdom of Pontus eventually lost to Rome, after which Mithridates took his own life (Simpson). The poem “Rain of Statues”, written by Sarah Lindsay, tells a story about the soldiers who fought and died during these wars. “Rain of Statues” gives the reader the idea that people are often viewed as being no different than objects, used until they seem unimportant or without purpose. The theme of the poem is enhanced through the use of a speaker, imagery, and metaphors. One literary element Lindsay uses to demonstrate the theme is the utilization of a speaker to provide …show more content…
Throughout the poem, the soldiers are connected to the treasure that sank to the bottom of the ocean with them: “And made us offerings to the sea floor / a rain of statues, gold, and men” (7-8). The author is showing how both the soldiers and the treasures they had looted for the general sank to the sea floor, seemingly losing their value. When the soldier is describing the scene at the bottom of the sea, he says, “Their faces, wings, and limbs / lie here with our sanded bones / and motionless devices” (23-25). This line is again important in connecting the stolen objects to the dead soldiers, explaining how nothing on the sea floor appears to be of any importance to anyone. The imagery used in “Rain of Statues” plays a vital role in revealing the theme of the …show more content…
In “Rain of Statues”, there are metaphors that help connect the speaker and the use of imagery to create the theme: “Released from service, / done with war” (9-10). how the soldiers ended up on the sea floor, meaning they were not released for service in the typical sense. Instead, it can be interpreted that these men were viewed merely as dispensable soldiers instead of people who had lives outside of war. The third stanza of the poem describes how the sea creatures are now using the bodies of the sunken soldiers as habitats, and the soldier reacts to this by saying, “So we are still of use” (31). The idea that the soldiers are being used by the fish even after they have died is meant to bring some comfort, showing that although the soldiers are now lying dead on the sea floor, they are still of some use. However, they are only being used as shelters, and are still not seen as people. By using metaphors, Lindsay is able to explain the