Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’ "Asides on the Oboe" delves into the philosophical exploration of belief, the role of art, and the nature of human understanding. The poem is structured as a meditation on "final belief," the idea that our ultimate convictions must be grounded in fictions—constructs of the imagination. Through its dense imagery and layered metaphors, the poem reflects Stevens? recurring themes of human perception, the interplay between reality and imagination, and the quest for meaning in an indifferent universe.

The opening lines set the stage for the poem?s central inquiry: “The prologues are over. It is a question, now. / Of final belief.” By framing belief as a "question," Stevens suggests both the urgency and the complexity of grappling with ultimate truths. The phrase “final belief” implies a conclusive resolution, but the poem quickly subverts this expectation by declaring that such belief “must be in a fiction.” This notion aligns with Stevens’ broader poetic philosophy, which emphasizes the imaginative construction of meaning in a world devoid of inherent significance.

The first section introduces the “obsolete fiction” of a “wide river in / An empty land.” This image evokes the romanticized myths of exploration and divine intervention, narratives that once imbued the world with order and purpose. Stevens critiques these myths as relics of a bygone era, noting their destruction by the forces of modernity: “The gods that Boucher killed; / And the metal heroes that time granulates.” The reference to François Boucher, an 18th-century painter known for his idyllic and mythological works, underscores the loss of these imaginative constructs in a disenchanted world.

Despite this obsolescence, Stevens suggests that the “philosophers’ man” persists. This figure, described as “the impossible possible,” represents the human capacity to create meaning through thought and art. The philosophers’ man is both a reflective and generative presence: “The central man, the human globe, responsive / As a mirror with a voice, the man of glass.” The metaphor of the “man of glass” conveys transparency and fragility, but also the ability to refract and illuminate. This figure embodies the tension between the material and the imaginative, the finite and the infinite.

In the second section, Stevens explores the creative power of this central figure. The “man of glass” is a poet and visionary, capable of shaping reality through imagination: “Thou art not August unless I make thee so.” This line highlights the poet?s transformative role, suggesting that reality gains significance only through the lens of human perception and creativity. The image of “clandestine steps upon imagined stairs” evokes the mysterious and elusive nature of artistic inspiration, a process that transcends the mundane.

The third section shifts to a historical and existential context, reflecting on a year marked by “death and war” when “the jasmine scent” was absent. The jasmine, a recurring motif in Stevens’ poetry, symbolizes beauty, fragility, and the fleeting nature of life. Its absence signifies a world stripped of aesthetic and emotional solace, a stark reminder of human suffering. In this context, the “central man” becomes a unifying figure, embodying both the collective grief and resilience of humanity: “We found the sum of men. We found. / If we found the central evil, the central good.”

The line “We buried the fallen without jasmine crowns” underscores the starkness of this reality. Yet, the poem suggests that through this shared suffering, humanity achieves a deeper sense of unity: “It was as we came / To see him, that we were wholly one.” The “glass man” becomes a symbol of collective identity and endurance, a figure who channels the pain of existence into a transcendent vision.

The final lines return to the theme of imagination’s power to create meaning. The “jasmine haunted forests” serve as a metaphor for the lingering presence of beauty and memory in the aftermath of loss. The “glass man, without external reference,” represents an autonomous source of meaning, one that relies not on divine authority or external validation but on the creative and interpretive capacities of the human mind.

"Asides on the Oboe" is a profound meditation on the human condition, grappling with the tensions between reality and imagination, suffering and transcendence, individuality and collective identity. By centering the figure of the “glass man,” Stevens emphasizes the enduring power of art and thought to shape our understanding of the world. The poem challenges readers to confront the limitations of inherited narratives while embracing the imaginative possibilities of constructing new ones. Through its intricate language and rich symbolism, "Asides on the Oboe" affirms the necessity of fiction as a means of navigating the complexities of existence.

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