This poetry collection, whose title is taken from a letter by Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, addresses the desire for clarity in knowledge of the world, the universe, and oneself. Five poems are inspired by the work of physicist Richard Feynman, while others ponder infinity, numbers, and the 39-poem sequence "Mere Bagatelle," which explores the assertions of American philosopher Jerry Fodor. Erudite and challenging, yet never straying far from the personal, these poems explore the very nature of ideas and the various ways in which science, mathematics, art, and philosophy illuminate what it is to be human.

Jeffrey Wainwright is the author of the poetry collections Heart's Desire, Out of the Air, and The Red-Handed Pupil and two books of criticism, Acceptable Words: Essays on the Poetry of Geoffrey Hill and Poetry: The Basics. He is an English professor at Manchester Metropolitan University and a former professor at the University of Wales and Long Island University.