Death and life
The major theme in the poem "As the Dead Prey Upon Us’’ is death and life. The narrator analyzes the way in which the way a person lives his or her life can affect the afterlife. Hell is described in the poem in two ways: a place of eternal boredom or a place plagued by regrets. These two elements transmit the fears the modern society harbors and how these two elements can seem as being torture in the afterlife. While boredom is mentioned by the narrator, a greater importance is given to the way regrets can affect us. The souls that are plagued the most in the afterlife are the ones that have regrets about the time when they lived. The narrator notes how those souls return time and time again to the sites of their regrets, trying in vain to change something. Death is presented in the poem as being final, a place that can’t be changed and where a person no longer has any power. Despite this, humans are not helpless, as they can live their life in such a way that their afterlife will be pleasant.
Reality versus perception
The main theme in the poem "The Kingfishers’’ is the idea what we perceive as being reality what the true nature of reality are two different things. The narrator uses in this poem two examples to prove this point and the first example used are the kingfishers, birds perceived by many as being graceful and even pure. Through scientific evidence, the narrator proves that these ideas are false and that in reality the birds have disgusting practices. Priests are the second example and they are more than often perceived as being holy and pure. In reality, they are just like us, and in some instances, their true personalities are even crueler than those of the most notorious criminals.
Religion and the disappearance of individuality
One of the common themes found in many of the poems written by the poet is the idea that religion causes the death of individuality. Religion is presented as being something that many people want to have and something that many think that it will enrich their lives. In reality, the narrator points out that those who are religious are indoctrinated to the point where they can no longer think for themselves. These people let themselves be ruled by various religious leaders who want them to be quiet and never ask questions. Controlling the masses it is easier when everyone thinks the same way and thus, because of this, religion is presented as being a force that is capable of destroying individuality and ideas in general.
