man standing off to the side looking down at a marble bust of another man laying atop a pile of broken columns

By the Waters of Babylon

by Stephen Vincent Benét

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Discussion Topic

The use of language and quotes in "By the Waters of Babylon" creates a mysterious and suspenseful tone

Summary:

The use of language and quotes in "By the Waters of Babylon" effectively creates a mysterious and suspenseful tone. The author employs archaic language and fragmented descriptions to immerse readers in an enigmatic world, enhancing the suspense. Phrases like "forbidden to go east" and "dead places" contribute to the sense of danger and the unknown, keeping readers engaged and intrigued.

Expert Answers

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What words or phrases in "By the Waters of Babylon" create mystery and suspense?

In “By the Waters of Babylon,” the poet creates a mysterious aura by using a first-person narrator who offers his individual vision of the ruined city. The suspense builds as they speak first about “waiting,” for the reader does not know what the speaker expects. The speaker also uses speculative language rather than firmly identifying what they are seeing: “The god … must have been a powerful god.”

Further, the poet does not have the speaker provide a specific time and place and has them use euphemisms with which the reader is unfamiliar: “It was the time of the Great Burning and the Destruction,” says the speaker, and “the city had become a Dead Place.” The speaker mentions the things that they see and offers only their limited knowledge of their meaning. Within the city, they see a fragmentary statue with the word “Ashing.” The reader is left to decipher this as part of “Washington.”

Finally, the speaker reveals their conclusion that their initial idea was false: those who caused the Destruction were men, not gods.

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