Harmonium (poetry Collection) - The Whole of Harmonium

The Whole of Harmonium

Yet another approach to interpreting Earthy Anecdote and its place in Harmonium is suggested by Richard Blessing's recommendation that the individual poems should be read holistically, as contributing to a single, unified, grand poem. In the first instance the whole would be Harmonium, and beyond that 'The Whole of Harmonium' would be Stevens's collected poems. Such an appeal to the organic unity of his oeuvre as a whole may belong to the best response to the characterization of Harmonium as a motley or miscellany. For instance, the holistic view would explain the inclusion of "To the roaring Wind" in Harmonium, despite its modest intrinsic merits, and its placement as the last poem in both the 1923 and 1931 editions. It has a function in the book as a whole, as signifying the possibility that the poet will find his voice again.

To the roaring Wind

What syllable are you seeking,
Vocalissimus,
In the distances of sleep?
Speak it.

Read more about this topic:  Harmonium (poetry Collection)