Countless “portraits” of Narcissus have appeared in western art and literature over the centuries, but to my knowledge few, if any, have portrayed the young god as he poses for the ultimate selfie. This poem is also a gracefully constructed Petrarchan sonnet, well-realized both metrically and by virtue of the meticulous word choices. Finally—and rather surprisingly, the poem’s overall tone lands somewhere between formal eloquence and unpretentious clarity.
Third Wednesday Magazine 