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Poetry · Chapter
The In-Coming Climate explained
A short poem describing the arrival of a new climate that brings ocean breezes laden with allergens, causing the inhabitants to sneeze in unison.
What happens
A short poem describing the arrival of a new climate that brings ocean breezes laden with allergens, causing the inhabitants to sneeze in unison.
Key passages
“Now o’ nights the ocean breeze Makes the patient flinch, For that zephyr bears a sneeze In every cubic inch. Lo! the admiring population Chorusing in sternutation A catarrhal acclamation!”
At night, the ocean wind makes the sick person recoil because every bit of air carries a sneeze. Look! the amazed crowd joins together in a chorus of sneezing, a nasal salute to the changing weather.
The poem personifies the climate as an invading force, turning a seasonal change into a comedic, communal affliction.