Let the wenches dawdle in such dress As they are used to wear, and let the boys Bring flowers in last month's newspapers. Let be be finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Stevens rejects superficial appearances, asserting that only the present reality of the common man matters.
- In plain terms
- Forget appearances; only the ordinary reality matters.
- What can you take from it?
- Focus on ordinary reality, not appearances.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What is the real here?
- How much do appearances matter?
Another view
It dismisses the value of symbolic appearances in culture.
More from Wallace Stevens
One must have a mind of winter To regard the frost and the boughs Of the pine-trees crusted with snow; And have been cold a long time To behold the junipers sh…
Permalink to quote #43 Take from the dresser of deal, Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet On which she embroidered fantails once And spread it so as to cover her face. If her h…
Permalink to quote #45 The boots of the men clump On the boards of the bridge. The first white wall of the village Rises through fruit-trees. Of what was it I was thinking? So the me…
Permalink to quote #42
Related quotes
The house of delusions is cheap to build, but draughty to live in, and ready at any instant to fall.
A. E. HousmanA. E. Housman quote #2 Truth is a golden thread, seen here and there In small bright specks upon the visible side Of our strange being's party-coloured web.
Arthur Hugh CloughArthur Hugh Clough quote #2 In the real world, mice do exist and they generally go about their business whether we see them or not.
Robert HughesRobert Hughes quote #3