introductory device. The most excellent goal would be reached with the voluntary acceptance of truth by enlightened minds. Arnold has succeeded in depicting his ideas through a simple and direct method one not commanded by trends which introduces and reinforces his theme. "The Last Word" is impeccably interrelated, with each element supporting all others and leading the reader toward full comprehension of its message. Through the use of poetic device, the author presents his theme in a powerful manner fully involving the reader. He, in fact, directs the reader's thought much as his narrator would influence society within the context of the poem. HOW BUNDING TRUTH by Randy Rust Losin' it in the mist of nightly day, I strain at the ropes the spiders spin, And reach for the stars which shown in childhood, Where my soul flew through the web to the roses And breathed in nightly day. So don't wake me while I sleep in the garden, And the spider tries to grasp my mind but can't pull the soul, Which flies past the wilting impotence of mankind, And sheds the cloak of tomorrow, Which heaves a weight today. So don't wake me in the garden, While I sleep away the day. But when I wake and the spider takes My soul you may. BIRTHDAY by Robert G. Wright (29 years) I spit in the dust And watch it claim my moisture. by Robert G. Wright One tear from you says more Than all the words on a saddened earth Can tell. by Robert G. Wright Holding hands last night Told me, Your grip is getting stronger. by Robert G. Wright I crashed your party. You made love to me, My t-shirt was payment For your breakfast and tea. THE WEEPING CHERRY by Robert J. Arway The cherry flowers pink along the bough. She trails her weeping limbs like hair And flowing hands. A tip-toe girl Once broke my heart to watch her dance Apart from all the world, her down-Cast eyes, her meditative face. Her slenderness forever sways In my worshipping soul's sad and gentle air. MONDAYS by Robert G. Wright Cement sneakers on an anxious runner. by Robert G. Wright Her voice attempts the child She always wanted to be. by Robert G. Wright When you play on my emotions, I trust you'll be a true musician. BUTTERFLY by Kristine Bjorklund Mamanakis Chrysalis wrapped I dreamed and softened to a summer breeze from deep within a winter storm. And so I slept, building the wings with which I would fly. Having struggled to emerge, I wait to wrap myself in summer sky. 18 The Aardvark Review Volume 2, Number 1 by Robert G. Wright What words are spoken with those silent eyes? This, my love, That silence never lies. IMAGINATION by Christina C. Carrillo Crafty perpetrator of fine lyrical madness, Fashioning beauty with fine shaved line, Sculptor of love and life Existing dimensions away. Barnard White's Woodworking Shop DR. FAUSTUS: A CRITICAL COMMENT ON CHRISTIANITY by Ben Hyde The absolute epitome of tact is displayed by Christopher Marlowe in his Dr. Faustus, a "morality play" in the medieval tradition on the surface, yet with deeper analysis, one reaches the conclusion that Marlowe makes a most devasting attack on Christianity, launching a thorough analysis of the Christian ideal of salvation. In examining Marlowe's Dr. Faustus, one must ask the fundamental question of whether or not Faustus deserves eternal damnation. Taking into account 1) Faustus' lack of free will, his being controlled by Mephi-stopheles from the beginning; 2) the fact that, other than the selling of his soul, Faustus commits no real unforgivable sin; and 3) the complete rejection of Faustus by God, it must be argued that Faustus does not deserve the eternal damnation forced upon him. Near the end of the play, Mephistopheles freely admits that he has controlled Faustus' actions from the very begining: Twas I that when thou wert i'the way to heaven damned up thy passage; when thou took'st the book to view the scriptures, then I turned the leaves and led thine eye. (xix, 100-104) This line does indeed have vast implications in that Faustus has no free will in his choosing to accept Mephistopheles and sell to him his soul. The line, "when thou wert i'the way to heaven," suggests quite strongly that before Mephistopheles stepped in, Faustus was well on his way to the eternal joys of salvation. Faustus realizes this near the end of his life, and cries out: "O thou bewitching fiend, 'twas thy temptation hath robbed me of eternal happiness"; to which Mephistopheles blandly replies, "I do confess it Faustus, and rejoice." (xix, 97-9) Marlowe's intentions become quite clear at this point, depicting Faustus as the victim of pre-destination, having no real control over his decision to sell his soul, instead, being a mere puppet to Mephistopheles: You stars that reigned at my nativity Whose influence hath alloted death and hell Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist. (xix, 165-8) This line further supports the notion of Faustus' being destined for hell, as it becomes clear that it is the stars reigning at his nativity that arbitrarily allot death and hell to Faustus. This idea then raises the question of whether a man not willfully choosing to sell his soul can be damned nonetheless for complying with his destiny. This is quite contrary to a fundamental precept of Christianity, that a person's eternal salvation or damnation is chosen by that individual by his actions; that the individual through his freedom of choice has the power to resist temptation and accept Christ, thus determining for himself his salvation. It is significant that the "good angel" still comments after it has been revealed that Mephistopheles has been guiding Faustus to hell: O Faustus, if thou hadst given ear to me, Innumerate joys had followed thee. (xix, 106-7) Yet it is clearly irrelevant whom Faustus gave ear to; he apparently was on his way to heaven before Mephistopheles intervened. With that in mind, the angel still has the gall to taunt Faustus for not accepting and following the angel. That Faustus should be damned for an act over which he had no control illustrates one aspect of Marlowe's "critical comment on Christianity." Regardless of whether or not Faustus controls his decision to sell his soul, there is still the question of whether or not he commits any real, serious sin with all this power given him by Mephistopheles. One finds no murderer in Faustus, nor a thief, and certainly not a rapist. On the contrary, Faustus is depicted as being a basically decent and considerate individual. To illustrate this, one notes the scene wherein Faustus sells his horse for 40 dollars, apparently a small price for a horse "Friends, thou canst not buy so good a horse for so small a price" (xv, 16). Nevertheless, Faustus sells his horse to him at such an excellent bargain because the horse-courser had "a good mind to him" (xv, 19). Faustus then duly warns him not to ride the horse into the water, which the horse-courser foolishly ignores. All in all, it is clear that Faustus is not only concerned with money or he would have sold the horse for a larger amount. One sees in this scene a considerate individual, willing to sell his horse to a poor man for whatever the man can offer. Faustus' rescuing Bruno similarily illustrates that the man has some concern for justice. In Bruno, one finds a man who is merely the victim of an intolerant tyrant, Pope Adrian. Bruno has committed no apparent crime, yet he has been arrested. "Pope Adrian, let me have some Volume 2, Number 1 The Aardvark Review 19