Wallace Stevens's "The Emperor of Ice-Cream" is a widely misunderstood poem. Poet and filmmaker Alex Sheremet is joined by poet and critic Dan Schneider to tackle not only the bad analysis of Wallace Stevens's poetry, but also that of Robert Frost in "The Road Not Taken" -- another work of art that is both far more simple, and far more complex, than it's given credit for.
You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cwVEbW1K9Xw
Read Alex Sheremet's in-depth analysis of Wallace Stevens's "The Emperor of Ice-Cream": https://www.automachination.com/analysis-wallace-stevens-emperor-of-ice-cream
Read Dan Schneider's classic essay on Wallace Stevens and William Shakespeare: http://www.cosmoetica.com/S3-DES3.htm
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Timestamps:
0:00 -- through the eyes of Wallace Stevens
1:44 -- Dana Gioia's awful reading and interpretation of "The Emperor of Ice-Cream"
3:35 -- Wallace Stevens and playful poetry; the "roller of big cigars" is not the undertaker; Wallace Stevens's relationship to New York City; sights on the Coney Island boardwalk
10:32 -- the BEST reading of "The Emperor of Ice-Cream"; why do critics miss sexual innuendo; does the first stanza have ANY intimation of death; debunking the "Caribbean funeral" myth; Wallace Stevens celebrates life and sexuality
16:04 -- explaining the second stanza; "deal" vs DEAL; sexuality in "The Emperor of Ice-Cream"
24:00 -- Wallace Stevens was THINKING of death, even if he wasn't WRITING about it; every sexual image explained; why bad critics bring Shakespeare's "Hamlet" into this poem
29:24 -- images of feminine seduction; "Yellow Afternoon" as a dark, death poem; why "The Emperor of Ice-Cream" is great
36:36 -- Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"; debunking the most common reading
39:12 -- self-justification; why Robert Frost's mirage is so appealing; poetry and memory; Wallace Stevens vs. Robert Frost; why art is failing; Dana Gioia is an ignoramus!
52:00 -- Bruce Ario vs. Robert Frost
57:00 -- preview: Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives"; "Annie Hall" vs. Woody's greater works
Tags: #WallaceStevens #RobertFrost #PoetryAnalysis
