РефератыИностранный языкWaWallace Stevens Essay Research Paper Wallace StevensOne

Wallace Stevens Essay Research Paper Wallace StevensOne

Wallace Stevens Essay, Research Paper


Wallace Stevens


One poet whose work you can really appreciate is


Wallace Stevens. Even though his poetry contains very


complex and lyrical vocabulary and his work is symbolic in


content, a reader can still find ways to really enjoy the


poems. Stevens seems to be almost musical in his work. The


poems I have read pay much attention to the sound and


arrangement of words. On the other hand, I find Steven?s


work to be somewhat bizarre. It is a style of writing that


will confuse the reader. The reader may not understand each


and every poem because he uses such a variety of poetic


techniques. Some of the techniques he uses are alliteration


and onomatopoeia.


In reading Robert Wrigley?s work Making Music of Sense


he believes that ?when poetry strays too far from music, it


atrophies?. This of course does not pertain to the works of


Wallace Stevens. One of the most interesting and true


statements is Wrigley?s comment ?And I ought to admit how


many poems there are that I love, whose meaning eludes me,


or defies me, mostly does.? I would have to say that I can


honestly relate to and agree with that statement. This made


me feel better because in reading the selected poems by


Stevens a number of them are enjoyable to read, however; an


easy translation eludes or defies me.


The poem The Emperor of Ice-Cream is one of those poems


which seems like it is more about sounds than it is sense.


Instantly as this poem begins to unfold the reader is drawn


in by the very first lines. Initially you are not sure of


what it means as you read:


Call the roller of big cigars,


The muscular one, and bid him whip


In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.(1-3)


The lines themselves seem lyrical and in the third line the


reader can be caught up in the poets use of alliteration.


This is because it is almost flowing along like the lyrics


of a song. There a

re other such lines in the poem where


Stevens uses playful alliteration. He also repeats the


somewhat lighthearted line that ?The only emperor is the


emperor of ice-cream?. After reading the poem over several


times the reader can come to a better understanding and form


his or her interpretation. On the surface the poem is about


the wake of a poor old woman, however; if examined more


deeply the reader could sense a deeper meaning. The very


ordinary commonfolk mourners are not as interested in the


dead woman as they are concerned with their own wants and


desires. There is very little description of the dead woman


thereby denoting her unimportance. On that same note the


ice-cream man?s importance is shown by making him an


emperor. The woman and her surroundings appear to be rather


unpleasant as though they are reminders of the everyday life


of poor people.


The next poem is Nomad Exquisite which is again musical


in nature and elusive to interpretation. This poem seems to


be lyrical without hidden morals or value judgments being


passed along. Stevens? language in this particular poem


uses a variety of poetic techniques such as alliteration,


symbolism, and personification. He also uses various hues


of colors to capture the moment and the beauty of the land.


?The immense dew of Florida? and its land is pure, refreshed


and inspired much as the Nomad himself. This beauty:


Brings forth hymn and hymn


From the beholder,


Beholding all these green sides


And gold sides of green sides,…(6-9).


In conclusion, the poems of Wallace Stevens draw the


reader in with their lyrical sounds. His poetry is


enjoyable although it can not always be easily interpreted.


I, as a reader, struggled with this idea, but according to


Wrigley: ?…although I?m interested in the gloss, what he


tells me the poem says is never as beautiful as its saying.


Being lost in the sound of it is always better.?

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