"Venus and the Ark"

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a spoof as a light, humorous imitation. I believe that Sexton refers to her poem as a spoof because she imitates the creation story and the story of Noah’s ark that are so popular among Christian religions. In particular, Sexton references the story of Noah’s Ark toward the beginning of the poem. She makes use of the “missile to launch a missile” as the ark that is filled with an assortment of creatures, which are meant to survive in a new land. The allusions to the biblical stories with the new-world twist are definitely her basis for referring to her poem as a spoof. The allusions are effective because they help convey the story of her poem while also satirizing scientist’s attempts to play the “God role” of creating and manipulating life. She shows all the unpleasant after-effects of the success of this scientific endeavor such as the end of Earth and the lack of a purpose for humans in the new world of their creation.