Wallace Stevens
And
H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)
Modern Poetry
Before you watch
this power point,
be sure that you have watched
the one on modernism
that develops
a discussion of Frost's “Birches”.
Modernism in Stevens & H.D.
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In the two poems we are considering, “13
Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” and “Oread”
the poems
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Present an image
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Create a “reality” or truth in the image
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Evoke individual responses in the readers
Do not worry that
you cannot “explain” the poems.
That is not their point!
You have NOT missed something.
How To Read Them
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Stop trying to understand them.
Just read the words, let the images appear in
your mind, and the “truth” is created in the
relationship between the poem and your mind.
It sounds weird, but these are images in
words, so it's more like looking at a picture
and having an emotional response.
What do they mean?
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The poems can not mean absolutely anything.
(There are some things NOT in either poem, like
airplanes, grocery stores, and elephants . . .
obviously.)
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Yet, the “truth” or reality that is created is a
personal one in each reader.
Read the Poems
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As we read,
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Consider what words the poet uses
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Consider what words and sounds are put
next to each other and why
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How does each word choice make you feel?
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What pictures do the words draw in your
mind?
Stevens
Stevens's poetry reflects his belief
that reality is at least partially created
by the individual.
A singer, poet, or artist creates
a reality in his words or images.
Do you agree?
Reflect on someplace in nature you have visited
with other people (beach, woods, mountains).

The “reality” of the place is the same (same
trees, water, whatever).

The “reality” to each is also different
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One fears water; another enjoys the sand
One loves woods; another hates bugs
One loves mountain views; another fears
being lost
13 Ways of Looking . . .
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The 13 ways reflect these different “realities”
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There are 13 different visions
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Some of the stanzas also talk about how one
knows
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Three blackbirds are of 3 minds (II)
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Reality is present in the man and woman,
AND in the man, woman and bird (IV)
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Stanza IX with the blackbird flying out of sight

This can mean that as the bird leaves his
sight, he leaves the circle of what the
watcher sees/knows
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This means that the watcher knows he
doesn't know everything.
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Reality for each person is limited
These “messages” in the lines
are about poetry.
Each poem can create a reality
for each reader,
and the realities can all be different.
The EXPERIENCE
of reading the poem is also enough.
You have seen
13 different ways
of experiencing a blackbird.
There is more than one “real” bird.
Now to H.D.'s
“Oread”.
H. D. is doing what Stevens was
talking about (and doing).
Oread
Whirl up, sea –
whirl your pointed pines,
splash your great pines
on our rocks,
hurl your green over us,
cover us with your pools of fir.
As far as I can tell, H.D. is true to her imagist
aims. She does not seem to be talking about
poetry, or anything else.
She is just giving us the image of the sea of
pines and rocks and fir trees.
Oread
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Perhaps best introduces us to the experience
of pure modern poetry.
Just read the poem and respond to it.
The response is in images in your mind and
how you feel.
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What do you see?
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How do you feel?
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Do you see a forest or ocean?
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Is it peaceful?
Your Assignment
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This post is for Frost, Stevens and H.D.
Frost is on the edge of modernism. He
responds to some of the same issues, but
Stevens and H.D. really move us into the
sense that truth and reality are no longer
something outside us.
In your post, contrast one of the Frost poems
with Stevens and H.D. (see next slide).
Assignment helps
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Think about how Frost clearly presents an
issue and discusses possible answers
(whether to build the wall or not, why it can be
nice to get away from the rat race and have
transcendent inspiration).
Is there a transcendent reality in Stevens or
H.D.? (answer: no, but show it through the
poetry)
For Stevens and H.D. reality and truth are
found in the individual.
Do you agree? Yes and no?
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It is not that there is NO external truth for H.D.
or Stevens. Instead it is that reality is shaped
by each person's vision and experience.
How do you feel about this vision that reality is
shaped by the individual? Include a brief
reflection with your contrast.
Posts are due July 18 (Sunday night).