Discussion Questions for Catherine Wing’s “Wallace Talks to Stevens”
1. What is this poem about? Who are the characters? Describe their relationship to
one another based on their names, their conversation and use of language, and
their differences (and/or similarities) in personality.
2. How was your experience of the poem different when hearing it performed as
compared with reading it to yourself? Which way do you prefer to experience the
poem, and why?
3. Read Wallace Steven’s “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock.” Cite examples of
common language between it and “Wallace Talks to Stevens.” What sense can
you make of the title and themes of the Wing poem in relation to the poem by
Wallace Stevens?
4. What is the relationship of the word “non” to the word “sense”? Are they
opposites? Explain how you understand them. Use a dictionary for ideas.
Writing Prompt:
1. Write a poem in the form of a play. Create two characters. Name your characters
in such a way that implies their relationship. (If you like, you may use Steven’s
poem “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock” for a source of names or collage content
for your own poem). Reread/scan through Catherine Wing’s poem, and select
three (3) of her techniques that you thought were particularly successful that you
will use to write your own poem. List these techniques before beginning to write.
Refer back to them and use them as a checklist for your revision process.
Additional Follow-up Questions:
1. Compare your finished poem to Catherine Wing’s poem. Using a venn diagram,
list similarities and differences between them in terms of content and techniques.
2. Was your poem difficult to write? What, if anything, made the process easier?
What would you advise another student to try if you could teach the lesson next
time?
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