“Lot’s Wife”
Even though the poem “Lot’s Wife” is not exclusively about Lot’s wife, it overtly makes reference to the tight spot that Lot’s wife found herself in according to the story in Genesis 19: 1-26. The New King James version says, “ But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). Anthony Hecht relates Lot’s wife action of looking back to the proclivity for retrospection. In “Lot’s Wife”, Anthony Hecht muses over the guileless things during childhood that were a factor in the unquantifiable hedonism he found in life.
The question “Who can resist the charms of retrospection?” depicts the irresistibleness of hind sights. The magnetism of retrospection is as concentrated as the drive that prompted Lot’s wife to look back towards Sodom even after the angel had prohibited her from turning her eyes to Sodom. Additionally, Anthony Hecht employs intertextuality when he acknowledges Proust. Notably, Proust’s In search of Lost Time, even though it is covertly stated within in the poem, appeals to the allures of retrospection.
“Saul And David”
The poem “Saul and David” is grounded on the Biblical book of 1st Samuel 19.Psychoanalytically, Saul's villainous spirit’ is the death instinct that kindles his murderous intents. The death instinct is so persistent that it extinguishes Saul’s peace and badgers him “ wheresoever he went.'' Saul searches for David so that he can hurl his death instinct at him, but David gets away through divine interposition. Nevertheless, “Saul and David” upholds the universality of the death instinct which means that even religious figures susceptible to the indignation of Thanatos.
