Theology

“Theology” is a lyric poem and something of narrative: It expresses the speaker’s argument and, in doing so, tells a miniature story. The speaker is like a third-person narrator. They guide the reader through what they believe happened with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The speaker is not impartial. They have a strong opinion about the creation myth, and their conviction compels them to write the poem.

The poem starts with contradiction. Line 1 begins and ends with negation words: “No, the serpent did not[.]” This line acts as a rebuttal, assuming knowledge of the creation myth it is subverting. The poem becomes argumentative as the speaker disputes what the serpent did to Adam and Eve. The speaker negates the commonly held belief that the serpent did “[s]educe Eve to the apple” (Line 3). They argue: “All that’s simply / Corruption of the facts” (Line 3-4). These lines clarify the speaker’s thesis or argument. What people commonly believe about the serpent, Eve, and the fruit or apple isn’t true.

The speaker’s tone is both informal and slightly elevated. “All that’s simply” (Line 3) has an informal tone.