Posted on May 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm by isabelleemerald and
I enjoy taking long, walks on the beach. <– You know that one cliché men/boys use to describe themselves?
It may be familiar, but not entirely applicable to every man/boy. And while it is not an appropriate description for some, it is a suitable one for Wallace Stevens. Minus the part “on the beach,” Stevens did get pleasure from walking in nature.
Anecdote of the Jar reflects Stevens’ interest in walking through the environment. Even when reading the poem at a literal level, the significance of nature in it is evident. On a deeper level, the poem talks about the prevalence of industrial development occurring in nature. Stevens was probably enthused to write this after walking through the wilderness or maybe even the city (that has occupied the natural world).
“What gems of painting or statuary are in the world of art, or what flowers are in the world of nature, are gems of thought to the cultivated and the thinking.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
So those walks must be Stevens’ way of collecting those gems.
Link Here | May 21, 2008,
II never realized the beauty of nature till I saw a red sunset. It was earlier this school year. but I can still remember the bright and warm colors of that setting sun. For the first time, I felt that nature was beautiful, like it was more than just bugs and dirt. Nature is an important part of the human experience because it is through nature that we make a deeper connection with ourselves. We came from nature. Nature is in us. We are nature. >.<
Coraline St. Vincent