'Peter Quince At The Clavier' by Wallace Stevens

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I

Just as my fingers on these keys
Make music, so the self-same sounds
On my spirit make a music, too.
Music is feeling, then, not sound;
And thus it is that what I feel,
Here in this room, desiring you,

Thinking of your blue-shadowed silk,
Is music. It is like the strain
Waked in the elders by Susanna;

Of a green evening, clear and warm,
She bathed in her still garden, while
The red-eyed elders, watching, felt

The basses of their beings throb
In witching chords, and their thin blood
Pulse pizzicati of Hosanna.

II

In the green water, clear and warm,
Susanna lay.
She searched
The touch of springs,
And found
Concealed imaginings.
She sighed,
For so much melody.

Upon the bank, she stood
In the cool
Of spent emotions.
She felt, among the leaves,
The dew
Of old devotions.

She walked upon the grass,
Still quavering.
The winds were like her maids,
On timid feet,
Fetching her woven scarves,
Yet wavering.

A breath upon her hand
Muted the night.
She turned --
A cymbal crashed,
Amid roaring horns.

III

Soon, with a noise like tambourines,
Came her attendant Byzantines.

They wondered why Susanna cried
Against the elders by her side;

And as they whispered, the refrain
Was like a willow swept by rain.

Anon, their lamps' uplifted flame
Revealed Susanna and her shame.

And then, the simpering Byzantines
Fled, with a noise like tambourines.

IV

Beauty is momentary in the mind --
The fitful tracing of a portal;
But in the flesh it is immortal.

The body dies; the body's beauty lives.
So evenings die, in their green going,
A wave, interminably flowing.
So gardens die, their meek breath scenting
The cowl of winter, done repenting.
So maidens die, to the auroral
Celebration of a maiden's choral.

Susanna's music touched the bawdy strings
Of those white elders; but, escaping,
Left only Death's ironic scraping.
Now, in its immortality, it plays
On the clear viol of her memory,
And makes a constant sacrament of praise.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Peter Quince At The Clavier by Wallace Stevens

The poem is a masterpiece of Wallace Stevens, who was a major American Modernist poet, and it is one of his most famous works. Peter Quince At The Clavier is a complex and challenging poem that requires a careful reading and interpretation to fully appreciate its meaning and significance.

Structure of the Poem

The poem consists of six stanzas, each with five lines, and follows a strict rhyme scheme of ABABA. The poem is written in free verse, which means that there is no set meter or rhythm. The lack of meter and rhythm reflects the theme of the poem, which is the struggle to create meaning and order in a chaotic and meaningless world.

Interpretation of the Poem

The poem is a meditation on the power of art to create meaning and order in a chaotic and meaningless world. The speaker of the poem is Peter Quince, who is a character from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Peter Quince is the leader of the amateur acting troupe that performs the play within the play in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In the poem, Peter Quince is at the clavier, which is a type of keyboard instrument. The clavier represents the power of art to create order and meaning in the world. The clavier is a symbol of the imagination and the creative spirit that can transform chaos into beauty.

The poem begins with the line, “Just as my fingers on these keys Make music, so the self-same sounds On my spirit make a music, too.” This line is a metaphor that compares the act of playing music on the clavier to the act of creating meaning and order in the world. The self-same sounds on the speaker’s spirit make a music, too, which means that the act of creating art has a transformative effect on the artist’s soul.

The second stanza of the poem introduces the theme of death and decay. The speaker describes the “worms” that “creep” in the “dark earth” and “eat” the “broken corolla” of the flowers. The image of the worms eating the flowers is a metaphor for the destructive forces of nature that consume all life. The image of the broken corolla is a symbol of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death.

The third stanza of the poem introduces the theme of the power of imagination to create meaning and order in the world. The speaker describes the “mind” as a “sheet of glass” that reflects the world. The mind is a symbol of the imagination, and the sheet of glass is a metaphor for the clarity and transparency of the imagination. The mind reflects the world, but it also transforms it, creating meaning and order where there is chaos and confusion.

The fourth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of the power of art to transcend time and space. The speaker describes the “clouds” that “pass” and the “birds” that “fly” as symbols of the fleeting nature of life. The clouds and birds are images of transience and impermanence, but the music created by the clavier transcends time and space, creating a timeless and universal beauty.

The fifth stanza of the poem introduces the theme of the power of art to create a sense of unity and harmony in the world. The speaker describes the “air” that is “filled” with “voices” and the “ears” that “hear them” as symbols of the diversity and complexity of the world. The music created by the clavier unites all the voices and creates a sense of harmony and balance.

The final stanza of the poem returns to the theme of death and decay. The speaker describes the “worms” that “creep” and the “broken corolla” of the flowers. The image of the worms eating the flowers is a metaphor for the destructive forces of nature that consume all life. The image of the broken corolla is a symbol of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. But the music created by the clavier transcends death and decay, creating a sense of beauty and order that endures.

Analysis of the Poem

The poem is a complex and challenging work that requires a careful reading and interpretation to fully appreciate its meaning and significance. The poem is written in free verse, which means that there is no set meter or rhythm. The lack of meter and rhythm reflects the theme of the poem, which is the struggle to create meaning and order in a chaotic and meaningless world.

The poem is structured around a series of contrasting images and themes. The first stanza introduces the theme of the power of art to create meaning and order in the world. The second stanza introduces the theme of death and decay. The third stanza introduces the theme of the power of imagination to create meaning and order in the world. The fourth stanza introduces the theme of the power of art to transcend time and space. The fifth stanza introduces the theme of the power of art to create a sense of unity and harmony in the world. The final stanza returns to the theme of death and decay.

The poem is full of metaphors and symbols that enrich its meaning and depth. The clavier is a symbol of the imagination and the creative spirit that can transform chaos into beauty. The worms eating the flowers are a metaphor for the destructive forces of nature that consume all life. The sheet of glass is a metaphor for the clarity and transparency of the imagination. The clouds and birds are images of transience and impermanence. The music created by the clavier is a symbol of the timeless and universal beauty that transcends time and space.

The poem is also a meditation on the power of imagination to create meaning and order in the world. The mind is a symbol of the imagination, and the sheet of glass is a metaphor for the clarity and transparency of the imagination. The mind reflects the world, but it also transforms it, creating meaning and order where there is chaos and confusion. The power of imagination is the power to transform the world and to create a sense of beauty and order.

The poem is a beautiful and powerful work of art that speaks to the human condition and the struggle to create meaning and order in a chaotic and meaningless world. The poem is full of rich and complex imagery, and its themes are universal and timeless. The poem is a testament to the power of art to transform the world and to create a sense of beauty and order that endures.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Peter Quince At The Clavier: A Masterpiece of Modernist Poetry

Wallace Stevens, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, is known for his complex and enigmatic works that challenge readers to explore the depths of their own consciousness. His poem "Peter Quince At The Clavier" is no exception. This masterpiece of modernist poetry is a meditation on the power of art to transcend the limitations of language and to evoke the ineffable mysteries of the human experience.

The poem is structured as a series of six stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with its opening line: "Just as my fingers on these keys / Make music, so the self-same sounds / On my spirit make a music, too." Here, Stevens establishes the central metaphor of the poem: the idea that music is a metaphor for the creative process, and that the act of making music is analogous to the act of creating art.

The second stanza expands on this metaphor, with its description of the "music of stillness" that can be heard in the silence between notes. This is a powerful image, suggesting that the true essence of music lies not in the notes themselves, but in the spaces between them. This idea is further developed in the third stanza, which describes the "music of the spheres" that can be heard in the natural world. Here, Stevens suggests that the music of the universe is a kind of cosmic symphony, in which every living thing plays its part.

The fourth stanza introduces the character of Peter Quince, who is playing the clavier (a type of keyboard instrument) in a darkened room. The image of Quince playing in the dark is significant, as it suggests that he is creating something that is not visible to the naked eye. This is reinforced in the fifth stanza, which describes the "music of the mind" that can be heard in the inner world of the imagination. Here, Stevens suggests that the true power of music lies not in its ability to reproduce the sounds of the external world, but in its ability to evoke the inner world of the human psyche.

The final stanza brings all of these ideas together, with its description of the "music of the heart" that can be heard in the deepest recesses of the human soul. Here, Stevens suggests that the true purpose of art is to awaken us to the mysteries of our own existence, and to help us connect with the divine. The final line of the poem, "The poem of the act of the mind," is a powerful statement of the poet's belief in the transformative power of art.

One of the most striking features of "Peter Quince At The Clavier" is its use of language. Stevens was known for his complex and often obscure vocabulary, and this poem is no exception. The poem is filled with words that are not commonly used in everyday speech, such as "clavier," "sufficing," and "effulgence." This use of language is deliberate, as it forces the reader to slow down and pay close attention to the words on the page. It also creates a sense of mystery and ambiguity, as the reader is forced to grapple with the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases.

Another notable feature of the poem is its use of imagery. Stevens was a master of metaphor and symbolism, and this poem is filled with vivid and evocative images. The image of the "music of stillness" is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the true essence of music lies not in the notes themselves, but in the spaces between them. The image of the "music of the spheres" is also striking, as it suggests that the universe is a kind of cosmic symphony, in which every living thing plays its part.

Overall, "Peter Quince At The Clavier" is a masterpiece of modernist poetry that explores the power of art to transcend the limitations of language and to evoke the ineffable mysteries of the human experience. Stevens' use of language and imagery is masterful, and his central metaphor of music as a metaphor for the creative process is both powerful and evocative. This is a poem that rewards close reading and careful attention, and it is a testament to the enduring power of poetry to awaken us to the mysteries of our own existence.

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