Final answer:
The poet sets the scene of an unbearably hot environment in stanza 1 by describing the intense heat of the sun.
Step-by-step explanation:
In stanza 1, the poet sets the scene of an unbearably hot environment by describing the intense heat of the sun. The line from the poem that supports this is: The sun blazed down mercilessly. This vividly conveys the oppressive heat of the environment.