"Venus and the Ark"

After reading “Venus and the Ark”, I noticed the same allusion to Noah and the Ark as did most people.  In response to Denton’s post answering Saharsh’s question, I agree with the existence of the allusion to Adam and Eve with the fruit dropping, but I do not think that it symbolizes the endless, continual cycle of human flaws and ceaseless human destruction.  I think that in writing this poem, Sexton is saying that humans will continue to destroy Earth, so the Ph.Ds started life on Venus so that a new planet could flourish without the negative influence of humans.  This is evident since the two humans sent on the mission were both males.  Whoever chose the Ph.Ds for the mission did so in order to protect Venus.  The only form of life that could develop on Venus would have to originate from the animals, and there is no telling what the animals would evolve into.  The fruit dropping symbolizes that the Venus is developing in its natural order without humans disrupting it.  Furthermore, I think the snakes alluded to the snake in the story of “Adam and Eve”, and the fact that the snakes had no influence on the humans solidifies that the habitation of Venus was going to be free of corruption.  “Adam and Eve” (or anybody else for that matter) were not there to take the fruit, and therefore the flaws of humans created in the biblical story were a nonissue on Venus.