The Sacred Exploration Quotes

The one thing about exploration is that it's about going somewhere unknown. These lines create that feeling of moving to unknown territory. The speaker suggests that the student is enthralled with "how far away" he can get. Just like the poem is moving down the page, farther away from the first stanza when the teacher asked the students his question, the driver of the car also wants to get away.

This line by itself seems to say that the "key" is being able "to speak or to answer," but this line is actually finishing the statement of the previous two lines: "how far away / a car could take him from the need." In other words, the speaker is saying that the driver of the car wants to get away from having to talk. The driver doesn't want the answer. He's searching for that sacred place, silence, where he can get lost. Just like exploring involves going into the unknown, the driver and the speaker believe that getting beyond words is how we find a sacred place.

These last two lines turn the poem as if turning on an engine. The image of these two lines is about starting a car and going. And that's what they do to the poem. They leave out the "where." They leave out the "why." In this sense, the lines capture the spirit of searching for something. The lack of direction is what creates that feeling of exploration. Rather, the lines are moving forward, but into uncharted territory, sort of like driving with your lights off (but don't try that at home).