The dictionary defines the verb to wait as the looking forward to the probable occurrence of an outcome and or event. In life there are many things that people find themselves waiting for. People wait in line to check out, for the weekend, for another year to go by, to grow old, for the traffic light to change, for the seasons to arrive, and even for the movie to appear. However, these instances of waiting are insignificant when compared to the agony one faces while waiting for medical test results that could forever change the future of a life. For many those minutes, hours, days, weeks, and even months are at times unbearable and filled with many different emotions and reflective thoughts. The poem, "40 Days and 40 Nights" by Henri Cole, depicts the agony the speaker of the poem experiences while waiting for his medical test results. In the poem, what kind of tests is the speaker having performed and what emotions and thoughts run through his head as he waits are the main questions that a reader should ask him or herself? By examining the poem I will explain just what scenario the words that Henri Cole has written are depicting to of all of those who read "40 Days and 40 Nights."
             Upon first glance at the poem, the title "40 Days and 40 Nights" jumps out. To most who will read these words, biblical references such as Noah's Arch and how many days Jesus fasted will be associated with the number forty. In the Bible, forty is a number that is used to describe the number of days a person is on probation or trial. Forty is also a number that signifies a period of time that someone is being tested. It is a long enough period of time in which the mind has to be strong and the person has to be dedicated to the task at hand. Cole's poem is about a man on a personal probation and or trial waiting to see what lies ahead at the end of the forty days, and how while he waits his mind, at times, gets the...