Dank
Mocking
The situation in the first sentence leads to the description of that area that is very dank. In the second sentence a person laughing because of the lights would imply that they are being mocked.
Modernist poetry is characterized by a love of paradox. Instead of confirming our supositions about the world, it means to challenge them. A famous example is the opening of T.S. Elliot's <em>The Wast Land</em>: "April is the cruellest month", where spring, traditionally seen as a fair and benevolent season, is shown as harsh, as if it were fall or winter. In this poem, the author presents us with a man that has "everything" (wealth and education), yet instead of leading a happy life kills himself. The apparent incongruence is meant to shock us into reflection.
<span>The transition word in this passage is "but." Transition words (or phrases) connect ideas in writing, helping the writer follow a train of thought. They ease the transition between different statements, and when used properly, make reading easier. In this case, Janeczko brings the reader along from noting a state of peace between two factions to remembering that the peace did not eradicate suspicion.</span>
