Still, sing what you can.
-- Speaker (Late Poems) (I)

Importance: In the collection's opening poem, "Late Poems," the speaker laments the transience of poetry. She compares the quickly fading messages of artistic work to a sailor's letters lost at sea. Despite her acknowledgement that even her words will not last, in the final stanza of the piece, she encourages her listener to sing, and to dance. Through her speaker, the author emphasizes the importance of enjoying life despite how rapidly it passes. This line speaks to the author's overall belief that life is a gift the individual should embrace even when it seems futile or fleeting.

Why not, though? Why not look?
-- Speaker (Salt) (I)

Importance: In the poem "Salt," the speaker wonders if better times ever existed. Yet, every time she attempts recalling her memories, they dissolve. In the third stanza, the poem turns, as the speaker confesses her fear of remembrance. Referencing the Genesis story of Lot's...