Elizabeth Bishop's "The Armadillo" recounts the beauty and devastating force of fire balloons released in honor of a saint's day in "these regions." The poem takes the reader through the happenings of the previous night. The speaker begins by emphasizing the beauty of the balloons and how they seem against the night sky. Then, he recalls how they burst into flames and describes what happens after they explode. This short poem is a testament to the power of love as well as the danger of passion. It also shows that even though these balloons are used for joy rather than war, they are no less deadly. Love can be just as destructive as hate and should be treated with the same respect. Bishop wrote "The Armadillo" in 1959 while living in Brazil. The balloon incident described in the poem took place near Rio de Janeiro during an annual festival called Ipanema Beach Party. The speaker in the poem is a foreigner who has come to visit friends in Rio. He remembers the beauty of the fireworks and thinks about how much pain they cause before finally falling asleep. The next morning, he wakes up to see that most of the balloons have been destroyed by fire but a few still remain. He realizes then that although most of them were burned, one survived. This reminds him of how love can sometimes cause people to risk their lives for each other.