Fire

by c. vesely

i watch my heart engulfed in burning flame

the colors of my childhood turn to black

i search throughout but find no one to blame

so much of my life i will not get back

the fire moves fast and consumes it all

table, seats, photo albums, christmas tree

i sorrow that this misfortune did fall

but it cannot destroy my memory

with everything ash, i have what i need

your arms around me, the hope in my heart

all my possessions had filled me with greed

i now look forward to another start

come with me love on a lovely journey

vagabonds we both shall be—lost and free.

8

how does the structure of the sonnet contribute to the poem's meaning?

a.

each quatrain describes a new part of the fire metaphor, and the ending couplet creates the new idea of a journey.

b.

the rhyme scheme compares and contrasts the fire with the narrator's life.

c.

the first two quatrains show the narrator's evil nature, and the third quatrain shows the narrator's honorable side.

d.

each stanza presents a different side of the argument about the effects of fire.