Reflection on a Wicked World

Reflection on a Wicked World - meaning Summary

Purity as Obscurity

Ogden Nash’s two-word poem presents a wry paradox: purity equates to obscurity. It suggests that what is morally or aesthetically 'pure' may be unnoticed, unremarkable, or marginalized rather than celebrated. The line invites readers to question cultural values that reward visibility, complexity, or notoriety and to consider purity as a quiet, overlooked quality. The poem’s brevity forces focus on the ironic clash between virtue and recognition.