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PLOT AGAINST THE GIANT, by             Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography

Wallace Stevens? "Plot Against the Giant" is a playful and layered poem that explores themes of femininity, power, and the ways in which subtlety and artifice can challenge physical strength. The poem features three female voices, each presenting a plan to subvert the "giant" using charm, beauty, and sensory allure rather than direct confrontation. Through its imaginative and dramatic framework, Stevens critiques traditional notions of power and emphasizes the potency of delicate, intangible forces.

The "giant" in the poem represents brute strength, simplicity, and perhaps the unrefined aspect of human existence. Described as a "yokel" with a "hacker," he is depicted as a rough, unsophisticated figure. The three women, by contrast, embody refinement, creativity, and subtlety, their methods designed to outwit rather than overpower him. Each "girl" adopts a different approach, employing sensory and symbolic elements to undermine the giant?s confidence and authority.

The first girl plans to "run before him, / Diffusing the civilest odors / Out of geraniums and unsmelled flowers." Her strategy involves appealing to the sense of smell, using the "civilest odors" as a weapon against the giant?s roughness. The geraniums, a symbol of cultivated beauty and domesticity, stand in stark contrast to the giant?s coarse demeanor. By introducing "unsmelled flowers," she introduces an element of mystery and novelty, aiming to disarm the giant through an experience he cannot immediately comprehend or dominate. Her approach suggests that refinement and the unexpected can halt even the most direct and unthinking force.

The second girl plans to distract the giant visually: "Arching cloths besprinkled with colors / As small as fish-eggs." Her focus is on aesthetic intricacy, using delicate and intricate patterns to "abash him." The "cloths besprinkled with colors" represent an artistic creation, a display of precision and care that stands in opposition to the giant?s crudeness. The imagery of "fish-eggs," tiny and fragile, emphasizes the transformative power of detail and beauty. Her strategy relies on overwhelming the giant with the complexity and elegance of her creation, showcasing the triumph of art over brute force.

The third girl employs the most intangible method, a combination of sound and words: "With a curious puffing. / He will bend his ear then. / I shall whisper / Heavenly labials in a world of gutturals. / It will undo him." Her plan is both sensory and intellectual, blending sound with language to unsettle the giant. The "heavenly labials" (soft, musical sounds) contrast with the "gutturals" (harsh, throaty sounds) of the giant?s world. By whispering in a language that embodies beauty and sophistication, she seeks to destabilize the giant?s sense of reality and self. Her approach is intimate and transformative, using the power of communication and suggestion to challenge his dominance.

The poem?s structure—a dialogue among the three girls—mirrors the layering of strategies they propose. Each girl?s method builds on the idea of subverting power through non-violent means, focusing on sensory and symbolic disruption. The repeated phrase "I shall run before him" emphasizes their agency and initiative, framing their actions as a collective effort to confront and outwit the giant.

Stevens? use of language is key to the poem?s effect. The imagery of flowers, cloth, and sound is richly evocative, creating a sensory landscape that contrasts with the giant?s implied roughness. The poem?s tone is both playful and pointed, with the girls? plans suggesting a blend of cunning and creativity. Their strategies highlight the value of art, beauty, and intellect in overcoming physical and societal constraints.

"Plot Against the Giant" can be read as a broader commentary on the dynamics of power and resistance. The giant, with his physical strength and simplicity, represents a traditional, patriarchal force, while the girls embody alternative forms of power rooted in creativity and subtlety. By proposing strategies that rely on sensory and intellectual engagement, the poem celebrates the transformative potential of art and imagination. Ultimately, Stevens suggests that even the most formidable forces can be undone by the delicate and the unexpected, a theme that resonates throughout his work.


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