Night Sweats by Robert Lowell Flashcards
what disorder is the basis of the ‘Night Sweats’?
bipolar disorder
what are the two sides of bipolar disorder?
mania (manic attacks) and depression
what is the structure of the ‘Night Sweats’?
a sonnet, a romantic poem with stanzas of fourteen lines each
what two contradictions are important in the poem?
darkness and light
who was the important person who helped Robert Lowell during his disorder?
his wife Elizabeth Hardwick
what metaphor is used to describe Lowell’s depression?
a black web and spider
what word is most often used to describe Elizabeth Hardwick?
light
what other problem is Robert Lowell faced with besides bipolar disorder?
writer’s block (lacking creativity)
what is Lowell worried about that gives him night sweats?
that his writer’s creativity may never come back
what does Robert feel guilty about?
that his wife has to carry so much of his burden with her
what is Robert Lowell’s ‘life fever’?
the sickness of his bipolar disorder and writers block
