"He puts his right hand lightly on the cup, I put my left, leaving the right free to transcribe, and away we go. We get, oh, 500 to 600 words an hour. Better than gasoline"

This quote is from James Merrill's poem "The Broken Home". In the poem, the speaker is explaining a writing session with his father. The father and boy are sitting at a table, with the father holding a cup in his right-hand man. The speaker puts his left hand on the cup, leaving his right-hand man free to write. This gesture represents the father and boy's connection and the dad's willingness to assist the kid with his writing. The quote recommends that the dad and son are able to write rapidly and efficiently, producing 500 to 600 words an hour. This is a metaphor for the power of their connection, which is better than gasoline, an effective fuel. The quote communicates the concept that the dad and son's relationship is strong which it can assist the boy to achieve his objectives.