Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird Group

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temi07

What is the technical experiment in Stevens' "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."  How do other Steven poems help us understand this poem?

Discuss the technical experiment in Steven's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." How do other Stevens poems help us understand what this poem is about?

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Posted by temi07 on Friday October 2, 2009 at 2:44 PM and tagged with literature, thirteen ways of looking at a blackbird by steven wallace.

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  1. appletrees
    appletrees Teacher
    College - Junior

    eNotes Editor

    The poet's name is Wallace Stevens. He worked as an insurance agent for most of his adult life, but also was a prolific poet and remains one of the most famous modern American poets. In "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" Stevens creates thirteen short stanzas of free verse, all of them based on the theme stated in the title: ways of looking at a blackbird. The different stanzas use simple, almost minimalist imagery and an almost Zen-like approach. Stevens' poetry is generally understood to be inscrutable and occasionally absurd. The imagery is carefully crafted and idiosyncratic, with a rich and luxurious use of language, but often the overall effect is rather cold and unemotional. The minimalism of the blackbird poem is a commentary upon Stevens' complex and elaborate use of language. The simple imagery has a profound beauty and this is an effective counterpart to the intricate but unemotional language the poet normally employs (as in "The Idea of Order at Key West" or "Sunday Morning").

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    Posted by appletrees on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 10:11 PM