Compare how Vultures and Night of the Scorpion explore people and human nature

Compare how ‘Vultures’ and ‘Night of the Scorpion’ explore people and human nature

Both these poems explore various factors relating to the behaviour of people and human nature. Each poem makes numerous points such as the fact that there is good in all evil, the importance of belief and faith, as well as how people react in a crisis.

Vultures uses a creature seen as a “dump of gross feathers” as a metaphor for humans, exploring how there is good hidden beneath all evil. The vulture is often seen as an evil creature, perching on a tree watching its helpless prey, waiting for the moment to swoop in and feast on its dead remains. However, the poem describes the vultures showing human qualities, such as how the bird is “nestled close to his mate”, the “dump of gross feathers, inclined affectionately to hers”. Affection is a quality which is usually only thought to be shown in humans, but the fact that poem the poem describes the somewhat unlikable creatures as affectionate suggests that there is a sense of good in all evil. The is no fine divide between ‘good’ and ‘bad’. The poem is suggesting that the two co-exist in unison with one another, that wherever there is good, there is always bad (and vice versa).

Night of the Scorpion explores a similar hypothesis. One point the poem expresses is the instability of humans. The writer states how his father, a “sceptic, rationalist”, a man of science, can quickly become superstitious under demanding situations. Losing faith in science, the writers father starts “trying every curse and blessing”, in desperate search for a remedy to the scorpion sting inflicted upon the writers mother.

These two hypothesis’ are similar. The poem Vultures argues how there is good in all evil. The point expressed in Night of the Scorpions could be interpreted in a similar way to this, ...

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These two hypothesis’ are similar. The poem Vultures argues how there is good in all evil. The point expressed in Night of the Scorpions could be interpreted in a similar way to this, in that a rationalist and a man of science can desperately turn to superstition, and ultimately religion under demanding conditions. This could suggest that there is in fact superstition in all of science and its rationalist views. The opposite could also be true, in that there is science and rationalist thinking in all religion and superstition.

These two arguments can be compared against one another to show repeatedly occurring traits in the behaviour and nature of humans.

Night of the Scorpion explores how people react in demanding and desperate situations. Repetition of the word “May...” makes the writer sound as if they are saying a prayer, almost as if they are reading from a list. This shows how the characters’ reaction is not really thought through, and is more of a rushed instinctual reaction than a carefully executed plan. This is representative of all humans reactions, in that when an individual is in a demanding or desperate situation, not only do they adjust their views and approaches to suit the situation, they also react in an impromptu manner, quickly gathering together a rushed reaction in a drastic attempt to solve the situation at hand.

Returning to the ‘good in all evil’ point proposed in the poem Vultures, the poet uses the character of a “Commandant at Belsen Camp” (a concentration camp), comparing him to the vultures in how even an ‘evil’ character who has committed many sins can show signs of good hidden within. The commandant stops on his way home to pick up a chocolate bar for his “tender offspring”, who are “waiting at home for Daddy’s return. This thoughtful, compassionate action exposes the kinder, more sympathetic side within the monstrous character. This further reinforces the ‘good in all evil’ argument.

Both of these poems explore the instabilities and insecurities of human nature using numerous poetic devices, as well as using what seems to be an animalistic predator as a metaphor for humans to show how, ultimately, we are insecure and even insincere predators.