Desire as destructive
One of the common motifs in the poem is the idea that desires are destructive for one’s soul. In the poem "Actaeon’’ for example, the narrator talks about a man who let himself controlled by his desires and who died as a result. The characters in the poems know about the destructive nature of their desires but despite this they continue to pursue them and try to satisfy their destructive desires in any means they can.
Folding chairs
In the second stanza in the poem "After a Greek Poem’’, the narrator mentions the folding chairs every person uses. Even though the chairs are cheap and will most likely get destroyed in not so much time, the people using them are cheerful. The chairs are used here as a symbol for the human body, something that brings people joy and yet something that does not survive for an extended period of time.
Nothing is more permanent than the temporary
The common motif in the poem "After a Greek Poem’’ is the repetition of the line "Nothing is more permanent than the temporary." The line is mentioned four times in the poem and by its repetition the author wants to highlight the main theme of the poem and the main idea in the poem.
Bones in the closet
In the poet "After a Greek Proverb’’, the author mentions the bone everyone stashes in their closets as an attempt to forget about them. The bones are used here as a symbol for the secrets every person has and tries to hide away from the view of others.
Symbol for commitment
In the poem "Another Lullaby for Insomniacs’’, sleep is compared with a woman who does not belong to anyone. She leaves the people’s beds without caring she hurts them and the people she hurts have no way of keeping her by their side. The reason why she does not stay is because she does not have a ring on her finger. The ring is used here as a symbol for commitment and for the connection between people and sleep.
