In the poem, Ferlinghetti is observing that poets "risk absurdity," or put themselves into a position in which their work could be seen as ridiculous or foolish, each time their work is performed before an audience.

Beauty in art is often a subjective affair, and in releasing a poem to public scrutiny, poets subject themselves to the risk that their work won't be well-received. Perhaps their diction won't be understood. Perhaps their imagery will be thought of as obscure or cliched. Moreover, Truth must be expressed before the poet can even hope to achieve Beauty, making the challenge of producing poetry fraught with uncertainty every step of the way. And even if a poet recognizes and communicates Truth, there is no guarantee that Beauty will follow. The poet, then, to follow the poem's message, may end up being a comical and public failure instead of the high-wire artist who amazes and enthralls.

The poem makes a few explicit statements on these themes, and some implicit statements. The explicit statements are found in this section of the poem:

For he's the super realist
who must perforce perceive
taut truth
before the taking of each stance or step
in his supposed advance
toward that still higher perch
where Beauty stands and waits
with gravity
to start her death-defying leap

Here the primary explicit statements about truth is that it is linked to a realistic view of existence and that the poet can reach it. Regarding beauty, the poem explicitly states that it is accessible, and that perceiving truth is a necessary step to reaching it.

Moving to the implicit, the ongoing image of the poet as acrobat implies great risk, and that the poet's art elevates him (in the poem) to realms others can't reach. There's great difficulty, and beauty seems to consciously elude the poet, or at least, position her self at a distance.