Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens? "Completely New Set of Objects" explores themes of emergence, transformation, and the interplay between creation and perception. The poem juxtaposes a naturalistic imagery of rivers and canoes with abstract reflections on time, human artistry, and the continuity of culture. Through its layered language, the work probes how physical and imagined objects mediate between past and present, creators and viewers, intention and interpretation.

The poem opens with a striking image: "From a Schuylkill in mid-earth there came emerging / Flotillas, willed and wanted." This line suggests an almost mythological genesis, where the familiar Schuylkill River becomes a conduit for creative forces. The mention of "mid-earth" evokes an intermediary realm—a liminal space where physicality meets imagination, grounding Stevens? exploration of how objects and forms are conceived. The "flotillas" symbolize the tangible manifestations of unseen forces or desires, bearing both the "shadows of friends" and "things made" by unconscious or collective human will. This duality underscores the poem?s exploration of creation as a collaborative act that transcends individual agency.

The imagery of the flotillas, "verdant with time?s buried verdure," links the emergent objects to nature?s cycles and the persistence of life beneath the surface. Time, here, acts as both a concealer and a revealer, shaping and preserving the "shapes" that emerge from the water. The verdure, suggestive of growth and renewal, contrasts with the buried past, suggesting that these objects carry the imprints of history even as they signify rebirth. Stevens emphasizes the continuity of creation and perception, where "the exactest shaping" by anonymous makers becomes a reflection of "a vast people old in meditation."

The objects borne by the flotillas are described as being made "without knowing, or intending, uses." This statement captures Stevens? philosophy of art and creation, where meaning is often detached from purpose or utility. The makers—whether literal craftsmen or metaphorical forces of nature—engage in an act of shaping that is independent of their conscious intent. This unintentional artistry is later recognized and imbued with meaning by the observer, "the beholder," who perceives their "subtle purpose." Here, Stevens positions perception as an act of co-creation, where the viewer participates in defining the significance of what is observed.

As the poem unfolds, the figures in the canoes take on a meditative quality. They "came paddling their canoes, a thousand thousand, / Carrying such shapes, of such alleviation." The sheer number of figures and their purpose—"alleviation"—implies a communal and redemptive dimension to the act of creation. The imagery resonates with the idea of art as a healing force, offering relief or meaning amidst life?s uncertainties. The beholder, who "knew well the shapes were the exactest shaping," becomes an interpreter of this collective artistry, bridging the makers? unconscious efforts and the broader cultural or existential significance of their work.

The poem?s concluding lines anchor this interplay of creation and perception in a specific geography: "Under Tinicum or small Cohansey, / The fathers of the makers may lie and weather." These references to Pennsylvania and New Jersey locales ground the abstract reflections in a tangible landscape, linking the acts of making and perceiving to a shared cultural and historical context. The "fathers of the makers," lying beneath the earth, symbolize the foundational legacy that informs present creations. Their "weathering" evokes both the erosion of time and the enduring influence of the past, reinforcing the cyclical nature of creation and renewal.

In "Completely New Set of Objects," Stevens blends mythic imagery with philosophical musings to explore how objects, both natural and human-made, serve as vessels for meaning. The poem emphasizes the interconnectedness of creation, perception, and history, suggesting that the act of making—whether deliberate or unconscious—is always embedded in a larger cultural and temporal framework. Through its evocative language and layered symbolism, the poem invites readers to reflect on the processes through which meaning emerges and evolves, shaped by the interplay of intention, interpretation, and time.

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