Stephen Vincent Benet's Nightmare Number Three

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“Nightmare Number Three” by Stephen Vincent Benet is set sometime in the future. In this poem, machines have just revolted against humans. This poem supports the theme because it shows technology becoming so advanced that it takes over mankind. This is exemplified in the following quote, “Machines, of course, the superhuman machines, The ones we’d built to be better than flesh and bone” (Lines 16-17) This quote is showing the reader what will happen if machines become so advanced as to develop a mind of their own. It uses irony, expressing that humans tried to perfect machines to be the ultimate slaves, and then the same machines became so powerful that they overthrew their human masters, making the humans the slaves. This poem connects to

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