the last verse seems to me to be to be about finding inspiration in someone else's imagination. her inflamatory wit was written when she was 'not inflamed one bit' - so she has used the 'great american novels' to combat her own creative crisis. 'at least they didn't run' implies that because of their status as literature, the inspiration from them can be consistent.
the last verse seems to me to be to be about finding inspiration in someone else's imagination. her inflamatory wit was written when she was 'not inflamed one bit' - so she has used the 'great american novels' to combat her own creative crisis. 'at least they didn't run' implies that because of their status as literature, the inspiration from them can be consistent.