Crossword Genius

Clarify MacDiarmid’s last poem about City area (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

decode

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'clarify' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to thinking as well as being verbs in their base form.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'macdiarmid's last poem about city area' is the wordplay.
'last' says to take the final letters.
'poem' becomes 'ode' (ode is a type of poem).
'about' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'city area' becomes 'EC' (EC is a London postcode area).
The final letter of 'macdiarmid' is 'd'.
'ode' after 'ec' is 'ecode'.
'd'+'ecode'='DECODE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for decode that I've seen before include "Put in" , "Unscramble" , "Get cracking" , "Decipher, decrypt" , "Break a cipher" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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