Of Modern Poetry - Wallace Stevens

   Of Modern Poetry

[alert-success] Of Modern Poetry - Wallace Stevens

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Of Modern Poetry is a poem by the American writer Wallace Stevens from his third volume of poetry Parts of a World. Wallace gives certain rules for the modern poetry, what it has to be. He also gives his account on old poetry’s characteristics to imply the difference between the old and modern work.  

The poem of the mind in the act of finding  

What will suffice. It has not always had  

To find: the scene was set; it repeated what  

Was in the script.

A poetry is an act of finding and exploring the aspects of mind. Finding does not simply mean, discovering something novel, but finding the matters which are already in existence. Every work is a reputation in respect of the script, is a rule for poetry. This is the case for the old poetry as it comes under certain rules and every poets follow this rule in their work of art. But everything has changed in the modern period, as the poet compares the changes with the theatre changes and he considers the past as a souvenir. According to Wallace, as his contemporary age everything thing has changed in respect to the predecessors, every new poet breaks the existing rule, there is a need to formulate certain rules and scripts for a modern poetry.

It has to be living, to learn the speech of the place.  

It has to face the men of the time and to meet  

The women of the time.

        A poem from the past cannot be found pertinent to modern life since modern poetry must address contemporary needs. Modern poetry has changed over time. Therefore, contemporary poetry must be alive and deal with dynamic subjects. The modern poetry must then follow a contemporary diction in order for the audience to be able to read it and relate to the men and women of the present. Similar to Wordsworth's Preface, a poem must use everyday language and not seem like it belongs in the ancient era. 

        Because the modern era has experienced both World Wars, it must discuss topics like conflict because that makes the poetry contemporary. Then, it must be a novel and an adequate one, acceptable for the readers, and like an actor who speaks slowly after reflecting on the affection of ears in a sound that an invisible audience can hear. The poet then contrasts the actor with the metaphysical poet in the shadows, who is able to create art with a tool that alludes to the poet's intellect. 

            It must

           Be the finding of a satisfaction, and may

           Be of a man skating, a woman dancing, a woman  

           Combing. The poem of the act of the mind. 

      In order for a poet's findings to satisfy readers, the poet must first be satisfied with them; otherwise, the attribute of good poetry won't be satisfied. Poetry may contain concepts like skating, dancing, and combining, but ultimately, it is the act of the poet's mind, just as it is the reader's. Only through the activity of the poet's mind can he produce a new work of art, and it is the reader's responsibility to understand that work of art. Thus, poetry is a mental act.