Context

We're big fans of alliteration, but...huh?

These lines come toward the end of Stanley Kunitz's "The Layers." Reading this poem is like following a roadmap for the human condition. Kunitz takes us beneath the surface of things and into "the layers," challenging the idea that life is short and depressing. Through conscious exploration, the speaker reflects on the meaning of trials and tribulations from his past as he looks towards the future.

But what does it mean to "Live in the layers, / not in the litter"?

Up to this point in the poem, we've gotten the feeling that the "layers" are something in the vein of a deep, conscious exploration of life. We can think of the "litter" as surface debris, like cups and discarded nachos we trip over after an epic concert. Superficial and fleeting things in life can stress us out, get in our way, and distract us from what we really care about, or what really matters in life.

Layers = life is centered. Litter = life is a mess.

Where you've heard it

People probably don't prance around telling you to "Live in the layers, not in the litter," but the sentiment is everywhere. It's basically just a stuffy—ahem, poetic—way of saying "focus on what's important."

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

This is almost as bad as telling someone to take a chill pill.