… behold how we have aged, traveling / from day to night only, neither forward nor sideward, and this seemed / in a strange way miraculous.”
-- The Speaker / Narrator (Section 1 – “Parable”)

Importance: This quote, taken from the first poem in the collection, can be seen as setting up its entwined central narrative and thematic elements - specifically, the idea of the collection chronicling particular kinds of journeys.

…I could speak and I was happy. / Or: I could speak, thus I was happy./ Or: I was happy, thus speaking. / I was like a bright light passing through a dark room.”
-- The Speaker / Narrator (Section 1 – “Faithful and Virtuous Night” )

Importance: This quote, taken from the poem that gives the collection its title, is intriguing because of its exploration of the relationship between speech and happiness. The quote suggests that, in spite of it not necessarily being clear which comes first, speech or happiness, the combination of the two is a source of light in darkness - or, metaphorically, a source...