Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens? "Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction: It Must Change" explores transformation as a fundamental principle of existence, art, and perception. This section, a continuation of his poetic manifesto, emphasizes change as the dynamic force that sustains and revitalizes life and creativity. Through rich imagery and philosophical reflection, Stevens meditates on the interplay of permanence and flux, articulating the necessity of transformation in the pursuit of meaning and art.

The section opens with a vision of the seraph—an angelic figure observing the cyclical renewal of the natural world: “The old seraph, parcel-gilded, among violets / Inhaled the appointed odor.” Here, Stevens captures the tension between constancy and inconstancy. The violets, bees, and hyacinths are described as "inconstant objects of inconstant cause," reflecting the ever-shifting nature of existence. Even as these elements recur, their repetition fails to satisfy because it lacks novelty: “It is a repetition. The bees come booming.” This dissatisfaction with stasis underscores the human need for continual change to counteract the monotony of life.

Stevens challenges the illusion of permanence, embodied by the statue of General Du Puy in the third canto. The statue represents a fixed, unchanging state, but it is ultimately dismissed as “rubbish in the end.” The lawyers and doctors who study the statue recognize its artificiality—it is a rigid and static representation that fails to capture the vitality of life. Stevens critiques such attempts to immortalize human achievement, suggesting that true significance lies in the flux of living, not in artificial monuments to the past.

The poem’s fourth canto articulates the origin of change as the interaction of opposites: “Two things of opposite natures seem to depend / On one another.” Stevens employs the imagery of winter and spring, morning and afternoon, and north and south to illustrate this interdependence. Change arises from the tension and synthesis of contrasts, creating moments of transformation that are both dynamic and harmonious. This interplay of opposites echoes the Romantic notion of unity in diversity, but Stevens adapts it to his modernist vision of perpetual flux.

In the sixth canto, the poem explores the natural world?s resilience and continuity. The description of the orange trees blooming “long after the planter’s death” serves as a metaphor for the enduring power of life and creativity. The natural world persists and evolves, indifferent to human mortality. Stevens uses this imagery to affirm that transformation is intrinsic to existence—it is not an aberration but a natural and necessary process.

The seventh canto introduces a more intimate dimension of change, focusing on the human experience of love and passion. Stevens writes, “Easy passion and ever-ready love / Are of our earthy birth and here and now.” This celebration of sensuality and immediacy grounds the abstract concept of change in tangible, human terms. Love, like life itself, is marked by fluctuation and renewal, offering a microcosm of the broader transformations that define existence.

Stevens further explores the theme of transformation through the figure of Nanzia Nunzio in the eighth canto. Her confrontation with Ozymandias—a symbol of permanence and authority—represents a rejection of static power in favor of dynamic, personal transformation. Nanzia’s divestment of her material adornments signifies a stripping away of externalities to reveal the essence of change: “I am the spouse beyond emerald or amethyst.” This act of self-renewal aligns with Stevens’ broader vision of transformation as an intrinsic and creative force.

The ninth canto delves into the relationship between language and change. Stevens reflects on the poet’s task of capturing the flux of existence through words: “The poem goes from the poet?s gibberish to / The gibberish of the vulgate and back again.” This movement reflects the tension between the personal and the universal, the specific and the general. Stevens suggests that poetry must embrace this duality, using its "peculiar speech" to convey the universal truths inherent in change.

The final canto emphasizes the freshness and vitality of transformation. Stevens celebrates the dynamic interplay of perception and reality: “The freshness of transformation is / The freshness of a world.” This statement encapsulates his belief that change is not only inevitable but also invigorating. It is through transformation that we encounter “the freshness of ourselves,” continually rediscovering our place in the world.

"It Must Change" is a profound meditation on the centrality of transformation in human experience and artistic creation. Stevens argues that change is not merely a condition of existence but its defining characteristic. By embracing flux and rejecting static ideals, the poet becomes a participant in the ongoing renewal of life, capturing its vitality through the ever-evolving medium of language. This section of Notes Toward a Supreme Fiction reinforces Stevens? conviction that poetry must reflect and embody the dynamic nature of reality, offering readers a glimpse into the perpetual motion of existence.

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