Venus and the Ark: Question 1

Like I mentioned in my earlier blog post for Group C, I disagree with Randal's description of her tone towards the word "Venus". I didn't really see anything cheerful about her tone, let alone the poem, and instead noticed that she seemed to caress it. This would make sense if we apply the idea that the Venus formed by the two Ph.D's became a new land of prosperity: Sexton's own version of Eden. Again we can look into Sexton's background. It is possible that her experiences with her illness drove her to search for peace and tranquility, thus placing a larger personal significance on the meaning of "Venus".