Boost Your Grades with Night Sweat by Robert Lowell: In-Depth Poem Analysis

Описание: Boost your exam performance with a thorough analysis of Night Sweat by Robert Lowell, featured in the Cambridge Songs of Ourselves anthology. Uncover how Lowell’s use of personal experience and evocative language reflects the poet’s internal struggle with mental and physical health. Understanding the poem's exploration of the self and suffering will provide the perfect foundation for tackling exam questions on conflict and identity.

Analysis
In Robert Lowell's poem "Night Sweat," the speaker contemplates his existence amidst the mundane setting of his work-table and scattered belongings. The poem delves into themes of mortality, existential angst, and the relentless pursuit of artistic expression. Lowell vividly describes the physical discomfort of night sweats as a metaphor for the inner turmoil and emotional intensity he experiences. He grapples with the weight of his vulnerability and fear and seeks solace in the presence of his wife, whose lightness and support offer moments of respite. Throughout, there's a poignant exploration of the fragility of life and the complexities of human emotions.

00:00 Introduction
00:05 Biographical and historical context
01:56 Structural overview
04:39 Title
04:52 Line-by-line analysis

Additional Resources
For more exam tips, resources, and one-to-one tutoring, visit my website: www.clairesnotes.com
Check out the rest of my videos on the poems from Songs of Ourselves, Vol I, for 2025:    • Cambridge iGCSE Songs of Ourselves Vol. I,...  

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The Poem: Night Sweat by Robert Lowell

Work-table, litter, books and standing lamp,
plain things, my stalled equipment, the old broom---
but I am living in a tidied room,
for ten nights now I've felt the creeping damp
float over my pajamas' wilted white . . .
Sweet salt embalms me and my head is wet,
everything streams and tells me this is right;
my life's fever is soaking in night sweat---
one life, one writing! But the downward glide
and bias of existing wrings us dry---
always inside me is the child who died,
always inside me is his will to die---
one universe, one body . . . in this urn
the animal night sweats of the spirit burn.
Behind me! You! Again I feel the light
lighten my leaded eyelids, while the gray
skulled horses whinny for the soot of night.
I dabble in the dapple of the day,
a heap of wet clothes, seamy, shivering,
I see my flesh and bedding washed with light,
my child exploding into dynamite,
my wife . . . your lightness alters everything,
and tears the black web from the spider's sack,
as your heart hops and flutters like a hare.
Poor turtle, tortoise, if I cannot clear
the surface of these troubled waters here,
absolve me, help me, Dear Heart, as you bear
this world's dead weight and cycle on your back.

About Me
I’m an experienced English teacher with over 25 years of classroom and private tutoring experience. My videos are tailored to help students achieve top marks in AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas/WJEC, CCEA and Cambridge IGCSE English exams.

Please note that any literature analysis is highly subjective and may disagree with analysis by another person. All interpretations are valid if they can be justified by reference to the text. This interpretation is my own: it is not exhaustive and there are alternatives!

Let’s Discuss!
What do you think about Night Sweat by Robert Lowell?

The speaker in Night Sweat reflects on their intense emotional and physical suffering, portrayed through vivid, uncomfortable imagery. How does Lowell use this imagery to convey the relationship between the body and the mind in moments of crisis?
The poem's title, Night Sweat, suggests a link between the physical symptoms of illness and deeper psychological distress. How does the structure of the poem reflect this intertwining of body and mind?
In the poem, Lowell grapples with feelings of mortality and the fear of death. How do the shifts in tone throughout the poem enhance this exploration of anxiety and self-awareness?
The final lines of the poem allude to an ambiguous sense of relief or resignation. What do you think this shift in tone signifies about the speaker’s internal struggle and acceptance of their condition?