<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHonestly, his life isn’t all that interesting to read about. He basically lived a common life as an insurance salesman and wrote poetry in his spare time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s not like he was a Beat roaming the country for adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since many people return home during the holiday season, I thought I’d share some of my own interpretation of Stevens’ “Two Letters,” which I think is one of his lesser-known poems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wallace Stevens Nostalgia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Stevens was a deeply nostalgic poet, and his poems often become self-reflective of this fact. It’s almost like he understands that nostalgia can distort our memory of the past, and he’s embarrassed that he feels it so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The “Two Letters” are addressed “A Letter from” and “A Letter to.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We’ll look at “A Letter from.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Letter from<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The central theme of this poem is a longing for his carefree childhood home again. The opening is breathtaking in its imagery, and once you parse the complicated phrasing, it strikes me as a deep truth about human nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if there had been a crescent moon
On every cloud-tip over the heavens,
Drenching the evening with crystals\u2019 light,
One would have wanted more-more-more-<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Humans can never be satisfied with what they have. We could be given the most stunning piece of heaven as described, but we’d still want “more-more-more-.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thought this was an appropriate opening sentiment for a time of year that is all about consumerism and wanting more. We rarely step back and appreciate what we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stevens opens this way, not for the consumerism aspect, but the nostalgia aspect. He’s saying he has trouble appreciating what he has now because he longs for the past too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n