The Emperor of Gladness” by Ocean Vuong is a luminous, emotionally charged piece that reflects the poet’s signature blend of tenderness, vulnerability, and fierce precision. In this work, Vuong explores the tension between joy and sorrow, revealing how gladness can exist even within grief’s shadow. His language moves fluidly between the intimate and the expansive, inviting readers to reflect on memory, desire, and the fragile beauty of being alive.
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