Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens? "Pediment of Appearance" delves into the human quest for essential meaning and form, embodied metaphorically in the pursuit of a "great ornament." This poem captures the tension between surface and depth, self and world, as well as the interplay of discovery and disillusionment.

The poem begins with an image of "Young men walking in the woods, / Hunting for the great ornament." This opening evokes a scene of exploration and longing, where the woods symbolize a realm of mystery and potential revelation. The "great ornament" represents an ideal—an ultimate truth or aesthetic form—that the seekers believe to exist independently of external embellishments: "The pediment of appearance." A pediment, a triangular structure crowning classical buildings, suggests not only architectural grandeur but also a metaphysical threshold. The young men?s search becomes a symbolic journey toward a fundamental reality that transcends adornment and contingency.

Stevens emphasizes the purity of this ideal: "They hunt for a form which by its form alone, / Without diamond—blazons or flashing or / Chains of circumstance." This description underscores the seekers? desire for something unadorned, a form whose value lies entirely in its inherent "rightness." The repeated insistence on the form?s self-sufficiency—"by its form alone, by being right, / By being high"—suggests an almost Platonic yearning for an immutable essence, one that stands apart from the chaos and flux of lived experience.

However, Stevens introduces a tension between this lofty aspiration and the grim reality of its pursuit. The sought-after ideal is described as "the stone / For which they are looking: / The savage transparence." The oxymoronic phrase "savage transparence" encapsulates the paradoxical nature of their quest. Transparency suggests clarity and simplicity, yet its savagery hints at something raw, untamed, and perhaps elusive. The ideal, while ostensibly pure and self-evident, is not easily grasped or contained.

The poem shifts to the interior experience of the seekers: "They go crying / The world is myself, life is myself, / Breathing as if they breathed themselves." This declaration reflects the young men?s identification with their environment, a merging of self and world that is both empowering and isolating. By proclaiming that the world and life are extensions of their own being, they assert autonomy and agency. Yet this solipsistic perspective risks reducing the external world to a mere reflection of their subjective desires, blurring the boundary between discovery and projection.

Stevens critiques the limitations of their perspective through the image of the "ugly lord," a figure that embodies the oppressive weight of their self-centered worldview. This "ugly lord" suggests a darker force within the seekers, perhaps their own egos or the disillusionment that accompanies their idealism. Their phrases, "speaking the phrases that follow the sight / Of this essential ornament," seem rehearsed and derivative, undermining the originality and authenticity of their search.

The climax of the poem occurs as the young men confront the object of their quest: "The pediment lifts up its heavy scowl before them." This image of the pediment as scowling—a far cry from the harmonious ideal they envisioned—suggests that their search for perfection has led to a confrontation with an unsettling truth. The pediment, instead of embodying pure beauty or clarity, presents itself as something weighty, resistant, and forbidding. Its "scowl" implies that the ideal they seek cannot be separated from the complexities and imperfections of reality.

Set against the backdrop of "this full-blown May, / The months of understanding," the poem situates the young men?s quest in a season of growth and revelation. May, traditionally associated with renewal and vitality, symbolizes a time of heightened awareness. Yet even in this moment of potential understanding, the pediment?s unyielding presence challenges their assumptions and forces a reevaluation of their pursuit.

"Pediment of Appearance" reflects Stevens? broader preoccupation with the relationship between imagination and reality. The poem critiques the human tendency to seek absolutes, suggesting that such quests often result in disillusionment or confrontation with the unyielding nature of existence. The young men?s search for the "savage transparence" underscores the paradox of striving for purity and form in a world that resists simplification.

Ultimately, the poem invites readers to consider whether the ideal can ever be disentangled from the complexities of lived experience. The scowling pediment stands as a testament to the weight of reality, reminding us that the pursuit of transcendence is inseparable from the challenges and imperfections that define human existence. Through its vivid imagery and philosophical depth, Stevens? poem explores the intricate dance between aspiration and reality, form and formlessness, offering a meditation on the nature of human striving.

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