The American Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti first published "Constantly Risking Absurdity" in his 1958 collection A Coney Island of the Mind. The poem compares the poet to an acrobat who must perform difficult, dangerous, and—if they fail—potentially humiliating tricks in the service of mesmerizing the audience. Yet only by risking failure, the poem suggests, does the poet have any chance at capturing something that is not only beautiful and true, but that will also stand the test of time.
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Constantly risking absurdity ...
... of his audience
the poet like ...
... his own making
and balancing on ...
... side of day
performing entrechats ...
... may not be
For he's ...
... taut truth
before the taking ...
... still higher perch
where Beauty stands ...
... her death-defying leap
And he ...
... fair eternal form
spreadeagled in the ...
... of existence
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
The San Francisco Renaissance — An introduction to the Bay area poets (including Ferlinghetti) that sprang up in opposition to mainstream poetry in the 1940s and '50s.
A Reading of the Poem — Hear the poem read aloud by the poet himself.
A Coney Island of the Mind — A review of Ferlinghetti's first collection of poems, written 50 years after its publication, for The Guardian.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti's Biography — Read a short biography the poet via City Lights, the book shop and publishing house Ferlinghetti founded.
The Flying Trapeze — Watch circus acrobats in action.