"Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo"

This quote by Don Marquis is an allegory for the trouble of getting acknowledgment for one's job. Posting a volume of verse is a challenging and also typically thankless job, as the author is likely to get little to no acknowledgment for their work. The allegory of going down a rose flower down the Grand Canyon and also waiting for the echo is a powerful photo that communicates the concept of the futility of the job. The Grand Canyon is a vast and also deep gorge, and the climbed petal is a tiny and fragile object. The echo of the petal is not likely to be listened to, equally as the author's work is unlikely to be noticed. The quote is a suggestion of the difficulty of obtaining acknowledgment for one's work, and the importance of determination when faced with adversity.