Mark Levine’s “Unemployment” Poems
The July/August ’12 issue of POETRY features three new poems by Mark Levine, each entitled “Unemployment.” These poems are essentiallyContinue Reading
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A Note on Stevens’ “Re-statement of Romance” and the ALI’s Restatement of the Law
My essay on Stevens’ “Re-statement of Romance” is now avialable through JSTOR and may be read on-line for free. It’s alsoContinue Reading
Surf’s Up On Wall Street
Dean Rader selected my poem, “Surf’s Up On Wall Street” for inclusion in the anthology, 99 Poems for the 99Continue Reading
Keston Sutherland – The Next Great One
While those with an ear to the ground upon which contemporary poetry is written might be familiar with Keston Sutherland’sContinue Reading
Wallace Stevens – The “Emperor” Disrobed – The Fortress of Irony in “The Emperor of Ice-Cream”
Unlike previous interpretations which generally hold that “Emperor” exhorts us to “seize the day” (carpe diem), here the speaker is exorcising his demons in a way that simultaneously captures his abject despair, sarcasm and remorse. This follows the long tradition of the rejected poet who pours verbal abuse on the perfidious amour, his muse. The poem does not merely stand as a lament on the illusive nature of love and life, but bitter commentary on the poet’s status.
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