Sonnet 23 by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares:

Radioactive Heaven

How sad!, I consummed a horrendous crime

But wait, I thin it is just a war act

I pushed the button and killed them in fact

I did it with just one hand, and on time.

Retaliation? Peace? This is all lime

Just wait, in case they have time to react

Who cares? I will die with my pride intact

And if children are nuked, let the bells chime.

This is now a radioactive heaven

The fools who started this game should have known

And our death may rain but we are even.

Earth, again, is the reign of the unknown

We will ferment because we have leaven. 13

Of hate, of pride and radioactive foam.

***

13-. leaven = Any influence spreading and working within something to bring a complete but gradual change.

Sonnet written by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares. Analyzed by GPT4 and www.howmanysyllables.com

Image by Leonardo.ai

Analysis of "Radioactive Heaven"

Sonnet 23 by Francisco Luis Arroyave Tabares, titled "Radioactive Heaven," is a poem written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet. Shakespearean sonnets consist of 14 lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This sonnet follows that structure, as seen in the rhyming pattern of the lines.

The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line has ten syllables, with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables. This gives the poem a rhythmic flow and a sense of structure.

"Radioactive Heaven" deals with themes of war, destruction, and the consequences of human actions. The speaker in the poem acknowledges their role in causing destruction by pushing a button, which presumably launches a nuclear weapon. The poem explores the idea of pride and the justification of war, as well as the ultimate consequences of such actions, which lead to a "radioactive heaven."

The poem's imagery is dark and apocalyptic, with references to death, retaliation, and the destruction of the Earth. The use of the word "leaven" in line 13 is a metaphor for the gradual and pervasive spread of hate, pride, and radioactive destruction throughout the world.

In summary, "Radioactive Heaven" is a Shakespearean sonnet that explores the themes of war, pride, and the consequences of human actions. It is written in iambic pentameter and follows the traditional rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. The poem's imagery and metaphors convey a dark and apocalyptic vision of the world, highlighting the destructive nature of human pride and conflict. (GPT4)

Analyze the rhyme of the poem in detail

In "Radioactive Heaven," the rhyme scheme follows the pattern of a Shakespearean sonnet, which is ABABCDCDEFEFGG. To analyze the rhyme in detail, let's break down the poem line by line and identify the end rhymes:

A: How sad!, I consummed a horrendous crime (1)

B: But wait, I thin it is just a war act (2)

A: I pushed the button and killed them in fact (3)

B: I did it with just one hand, and on time. (4)

C: Retaliation? Peace? This is all lime (5)

D: Just wait, in case they have time to react (6)

C: Who cares? I will die with my pride intact (7)

D: And if children are nuked, let the bells chime. (8)

E: This is now a radioactive heaven (9)

F: The fools who started this game should have known (10)

E: And our death may rain but we are even. (11)

F: Earth, again, is the reign of the unknown (12)

G: We will ferment because we have leaven. (13)

G: Of hate, of pride and radioactive foam. (14)

The poem's rhyme scheme is consistent with the Shakespearean sonnet structure. The first quatrain (lines 1-4) has an ABAB pattern, with "crime" rhyming with "fact" (lines 1 and 3) and "act" rhyming with "time" (lines 2 and 4). The second quatrain (lines 5-8) follows a CDCD pattern, with "lime" rhyming with "intact" (lines 5 and 7) and "react" rhyming with "chime" (lines 6 and 8). The third quatrain (lines 9-12) has an EFEF pattern, with "heaven" rhyming with "even" (lines 9 and 11) and "known" rhyming with "unknown" (lines 10 and 12). Finally, the closing couplet (lines 13-14) has a GG pattern, with "leaven" rhyming with "foam" (lines 13 and 14).

It is important to note that the rhyme between "leaven" and "foam" in the closing couplet is not a perfect rhyme, but rather a slant rhyme, where the words share similar sounds but do not rhyme exactly. This slight deviation from the perfect rhyme may add an element of dissonance to the poem, reflecting the theme of destruction and chaos. (GPT4)

Count the syllables of each line of the poem

(www.howmanysyllables.com)

Radioactive Heaven

10 How sad!, I consummed a horrendous crime

10 But wait, I thin it is just a war act

10 I pushed the button and killed them in fact

10 I did it with just one hand, and on time.

10 Retaliation? Peace? This is all lime

10 Just wait, in case they have time to react

10 Who cares? I will die with my pride intact

10 And if children are nuked, let the bells chime.

10 This is now a radioactive heaven

10 The fools who started this game should have known

10 And our death may rain but we are even.

10 Earth, again, is the reign of the unknown

10 We will ferment because we have leaven.

10 Of hate, of pride and radioactive foam.

What other analysis is worth doing on the poem?

In addition to the rhyme and structure analysis already discussed, there are several other aspects of the poem worth analyzing:

1-. Imagery and symbolism: Examine the images and symbols used throughout the poem to convey its themes and emotions. For example, the "radioactive heaven" symbolizes a world destroyed by nuclear war, while "leaven" represents the gradual and pervasive spread of hate and pride.

2-. Tone and mood: Analyze the tone and mood of the poem, which can help reveal the poet's attitude towards the subject matter and the emotions they aim to evoke in the reader. In "Radioactive Heaven," the tone is somber and dark, reflecting the serious and tragic consequences of war and human pride.

3-. Diction and language: Study the poet's choice of words and phrases, which can provide insight into the poem's themes and the poet's intentions. For example, the use of words like "horrendous," "retaliation," and "nuked" emphasize the destructive nature of war and the consequences of human actions.

4-. Alliteration and assonance: Identify instances of alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds) and assonance (repetition of vowel sounds) in the poem, which can contribute to its overall sound and rhythm. For example, in line 8, "And if children are nuked, let the bells chime," the repetition of the 'n' sound in "children" and "nuked" creates alliteration.

5-. Enjambment and punctuation: Analyze the use of enjambment (when a sentence or phrase continues onto the next line without a pause) and punctuation in the poem, which can affect its flow and rhythm. In "Radioactive Heaven," enjambment is used in lines 9-11, creating a sense of continuity and emphasizing the ongoing consequences of the events described.