The Hamlet Project

Was there anything, as Shakespeare was writing this
That looked like fire, but wasn’t?
Before electricity and special effects
Before animation and CGI
Before flash paper and flickering electric light,
What could be mistake for fire?
It’s an amazing metaphor here – almost impossible
Because he’s talking about a fire-less fire
Where there was none – – –
Except perhaps in a mirror
You couldn’t find an image of fire without fire
Only fire could be fire
And maybe that’s the point.