When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literature, Philosophy, and Mythology
- New World Writing (line 9) – a literary magazine
- Paul Verlaine (lines 14, 18)
- Pierre Bonnard (line 15)
- Hesiod (line 16)
- Richard Lattimore (line 16) – A translator who translated works of Hesiod, among other classics.
- Brendan Behan (line 17)
- Jean Genet and Le Balcon and Les Nègres (lines 17-18)
Historical References
- Bastille Day (line 2)
Pop Culture
- Billie Holiday (title)
- Ziegfeld Theatre (line 23)
- Gauloises (line 24) – Gauloises are a brand of French cigarettes associated with French café culture and artists like Jean-Paul Sartre.
- The New York Post (line 25)
- The 5 Spot (line 27)
- Mal Waldron (line 29)