The New Yorker: Poetry cover image

Nick Flynn Reads Zoë Hitzig

The New Yorker: Poetry

NOTE

Exploration of Political Urgency and Truth in Poetry

The speaker delves into a poem's political urgency that is never fully resolved, expressing the idea that nothing seems to work effectively towards any particular task. The poet seems to be exploring the challenge of achieving clarity on the task or being honest about what truly matters. The contrast between false and irresistible testifiers is highlighted as a significant danger, with a reflection on the love for both falseness and truth within the poem. The final line, 'the polyester, the royal blue, the blanket on the bed of the mother of two,' is singled out as a poignant and beautifully rhymed truth within the poem.

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