In this reflection, Nabokov expresses that the poems he created during a certain period served more as markers of his existence than as artistic expressions. They reflected his experiences with strong human emotions, depicting a sense of being alive and navigating through life.
He likens his poetry to simple indicators, such as painted stripes on a rock or stacked stones along a path, emphasizing that these works were more about orientation in his life than about artistic merit. This suggests a focus on personal significance over conventional beauty in his poetic output.