Great Regulars: The poet [Mary Jo Bang] doubts

the redemptive power of her own gift while simultaneously using it to find a tone that--in the final line--wavers perfectly between her contempt for consolation and her desire for it. The achievement of art shows the limitation of art, and vice versa. This is the great strength of "Elegy." No one will ever bring back the dead by writing poetry; indeed, the only certain result of writing a poem is the poem itself.

from David Orr: The New York Times: In Memoriam

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