Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’s poem, “Exposition Of The Contents Of A Cab,” is a vivid and complex piece that juxtaposes images of luxury, exoticism, and cultural identity. The poem explores themes of race, privilege, artifice, and the tension between material wealth and innate humanity. Through its striking imagery and evocative tone, Stevens invites readers to examine the intersections of societal norms, personal identity, and the trappings of art and culture.

The poem begins with an unusual and attention-grabbing scene: "Victoria Clementina, negress, / Took seven white dogs / To ride in a cab." The name "Victoria Clementina" evokes an aristocratic or regal air, while the mention of her race immediately foregrounds the societal and racial dynamics at play. The "seven white dogs" symbolize affluence, excess, and perhaps a performative aspect of luxury. Their whiteness contrasts starkly with the descriptor "negress," suggesting both aesthetic and cultural contrasts.

Stevens’s choice to use the word “negress” reflects the linguistic conventions of his time but also situates the poem in a historical context where racial identity was often foregrounded and objectified. By naming Victoria Clementina in such a manner, Stevens might be emphasizing the ways in which identity is externally imposed, shaped by societal perceptions rather than individual essence.

The auditory imagery in the following lines—"Bells of the dogs chinked. / Harness of the horses shuffled / Like brazen shells"—creates a sense of movement and rhythm. The "brazen shells" evoke the metallic clinking of wealth and the artificiality of the scene. The cacophony underscores the constructed, almost theatrical nature of this tableau.

The poem shifts to a moment of reflection with the exclamation: "Oh-h??-h??! Fragrant puppets / By the green lake-pallors." The exclamation introduces a note of wonder or incredulity, while "fragrant puppets" suggests artificiality and performance. The lake, described as green and pallorous, adds an eerie or unnatural backdrop to the scene, emphasizing the dissonance between natural beauty and the ostentation of the tableau.

Stevens then addresses Victoria Clementina’s humanity directly: "She too is flesh, / And a breech-cloth might wear, / Netted of topaz and ruby / And savage blooms." This acknowledgment of her physicality contrasts with the elaborate, almost surreal imagery surrounding her. The "breech-cloth" is a reference to indigenous or primitive attire, juxtaposed with the luxurious materials of topaz and ruby. This juxtaposition raises questions about identity and artifice—how much of her persona is shaped by societal expectations versus her own inherent nature?

The phrase "Thridding the squawkiest jungle / In a golden sedan, / White dogs at bay" paints an exotic, almost fantastical image of colonial opulence. The golden sedan, a symbol of privilege and excess, moves through a chaotic and untamed jungle, creating a stark contrast between the cultivated and the wild. The white dogs, once symbols of affluence, are now portrayed as out of place and uneasy, "at bay," perhaps representing the discomfort of imposed order in an untamed environment.

The poem concludes with a pointed question: "What breech-cloth might you wear— / Except linen, embroidered / By elderly women?" This rhetorical question challenges Victoria Clementina’s authenticity. The breech-cloth, a symbol of primal identity and heritage, is replaced by a fabricated, genteel alternative—linen embroidered by "elderly women." This closing image critiques the artificiality of her constructed identity and raises questions about the tension between cultural heritage and assimilation into societal norms of refinement and decorum.

Structurally, the poem is fragmented, its lines disjointed and flowing unpredictably, mirroring the tension between the exotic and the mundane, the real and the artificial. The diction oscillates between opulent descriptors and stark, declarative statements, reflecting the dualities at the heart of the poem.

The poem is not simply a character study; it is a commentary on identity as a social construct. By presenting Victoria Clementina in such vivid and contradictory terms, Stevens critiques the ways in which wealth, race, and culture intersect to create personas that are at once celebrated and constrained. The poem invites readers to question the authenticity of social roles and to reflect on the ways in which identity is both self-fashioned and externally imposed. Through its rich imagery and probing tone, the poem becomes a meditation on the artifice of identity and the enduring human desire for recognition and meaning amidst the trappings of societal expectation.

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