Summary

The poem begins with the speaker beseeching readers to attempt to celebrate the broken world we all live in. In the next few lines, the speaker reminds readers of long June days, wild strawberries, rosé wine, and nettle plants. In Line 5, the speaker specifies that the nettles grow over the abandoned homesteads of exiles. Still, the speaker says, we "must praise the mutilated world" (6).

In Line 7, the speaker addresses readers who have watched large ships sail in the ocean. Some made it to port while others perished. Other circumstances that readers have witnessed include refugees stuck in stasis and executioners happily singing. Nevertheless, the speaker states that everyone should praise the world. Instructions for doing so include recalling pleasant memories of being together in light-filled rooms, at concerts, and in parks. The poem ends with the speaker reminding readers of gray thrush feathers and...