# A Bed of Flame explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ameen Rihani.

## What happens

The narrator describes a vision of smoke embracing the sun on the horizon, which stirs a deep longing in their soul to be consumed by such fiery passion, reflecting on past trials endured under divine or diabolical forces.

## Themes in this chapter

### Desire and Restraint

The narrator's yearning to be the smoke embracing the sun reflects intense desire, while the memory of past trials suggests restraint or conflict.

### Suffering and Resilience

The line 'How often have I ’neath the stroke / Of God or Satan shone' directly evokes enduring suffering and emerging resilient.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker who witnesses the smoke and sun and expresses a desire to be the smoke, recalling past suffering.

### Allah

Implied as 'God' in the final line, contrasted with Satan as a source of trial.

## Key lines

> Would that I were the whiff of smoke Now sleeping with the sun!

I wish I were that wisp of smoke resting beside the sun.

_Expresses a longing for union with a powerful, radiant force._

> How often have I ’neath the stroke Of God or Satan shone!

Many times I have shone under the blow of either God or Satan.

_Reflects on past suffering and resilience, attributing trials to both divine and demonic sources._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters/a-bed-of-flame
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_2_se/chapters