poetry explication example

1. “The Emperor of Ice Cream” By Wallace Stevens

2. Call the roller of big cigars,The muscular one, and bid him whip In kitchen cups concupiscent curds

3. Let the wenches dawdle in such dressAs they are used to wear, and let the boysBring flowers in last month’s newspapers.

4. Let be be finale of seem.The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

5. Take from the dresser of deal.Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheetOn which she embroidered fantails onceand spread it so as to cover her face

6. If her horny feet protrude, they come To show how cold she is, and dumb Let the lamp affix its beam.

7. The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

8. Explication The poem is a commentary on how society honors their dead.

9. The central idea expressed through the speaker of the poem is that reality trumps perception: “Let be be finale of seem.”

10. And that we must seize the day and enjoy the pleasures of life!