According to the speaker, a poem should be sensory and concrete, as well as silent, like a round fruit. It should be unthinking or natural, like a person playing with a medallion in their hand. The poem should be as silent as a window ledge...
The tone of the poem is passionate and thoughtful. This poem is a manifesto about what art should be. Encoded in this theme is the idea of interpretation, because a poem arguably does not become art until perceived by someone.
Ars Poetica study guide contains a biography of Archibald MacLeish, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
