Wallace Stephens To An Old Philosopher

[optimalg33]

Brilliant rendering. A woefully under-appreciated poet.

[surrected4526]

Beautifully read. Thank you!

[brychar66]

Thank you also :) I see you are an Eliot fan like me.

[marmas58ink]

"Without eloquence, half asleep... you're dozing in your bed...." I can imagine him, lying in bed w/ a notebook, (though he was prob. at his desk), gradually finding more words to declare and clarify. ... reading earlier comments... 'jdonalds1' says much what I was trying to say... and ' discursively meditative' is a good 'thumbnail' on his style. I like your reading. Thanks.

[marmas58ink]

I have a tape of Stevens reading... emotionless and 'flat' perhaps but... his voice suits his style, which is more intellectual than emotive.Imagistic, but the appeal is more to the mind.

I first heard him on headphones in my college library, early 80s. It was he and Sandburg I returned to. We the People, and Credences of Summer esp; sublime stuff.

I've read a lot of WS also and... you're a good reader... not SO different from WS in fact! More shading, inflection, I'll grant.

[brychar66]

Thanks for that. I've come rather to regret my initial comments! On reflection, I do sound rather like him, I see/hear that now.

[tamerlanenj]

Wow, after all the crap talking, Wallace Stevens clearly knows how to read his poetry better than you do.

Fail.

[christopherfarrell]

Stevens was a genius.

[jdonalds1]

Lovely reading of "Farewell to Florida." It's never been a personal favorite, but you've got me thinking that I've missed something in it. And I'm getting to the age when farewells to floridian abundance start to resonate in ways they mightn't have before. I'm not sure you needed the music in the background ... your voice is music enough in itself.

[brychar66]

Yes I understand and sympathise. When I looked at Farewell to Florida again (my reading) I thought to myself 'I don't think he will like the music' .... perhaps not even the video...I agree that poetry if well read is sufficient unto itself. Regards, Charles.

[jdonalds1]

There is an element of the discursively meditative in Stevens' verse that obliges a reader to adopt a consistently level tone, as of one talking to oneself in a dream. I didn't find that the reading here was appreciably different from Stevens' own, which suggests to me that the poem itself is playing a suitably important role in how it may be communicated. In any case, I find Stevens' readings of his work very moving and thoughtful: they are not of a poet dramatizing but of a poet thinking.

[brychar66]

'I didn't find that the reading here was appreciably different from Stevens' own'

....hehe, I think you have a point! Thanks for the comment. I'd like to hear the great man reading his most famous poem (?).....'complacencies of the peignoir' etc which I have also recorded on here.

[jdonalds1]

Well, there may not be a "Sunday Morning", but you should have a go at S's "Idea of Order at Key West" which goes as far in the direction of the snail's pace as one could want. I'd be interested to hear how you handled it. I should emphasize again, my earlier comment notwithstanding, that I found your reading very beautiful. Thanks for sharing it....

[brychar66]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I have in fact already read 'Farewell to Florida' the first poem from his 'Ideas of Order' volume. See what you think of that reading - I'd be interested to know. (You can locate it by keying in 'Wallace Stevens Farewell to Florida' in the 'Search' space near the top of this page.)I'll certainly attempt 'Idea of Order at Key West' for you sometime soon.

[APTAPTAPT]

2/2steven's body of poetic work;i have read his slim essays(many adapted from lectures) many times,and i regret the man didnt turn out more. i havent really investigated the matter much, but i have always been interested in literary criticism,and seldom have come across anything,hardly the rare aside, thathas added anything to what the man said for himself. surpis. in view ofhis prestige in usa. but i strongly suspect stevens ofa sly/perverse reticence abot the integrity ofhis mental pastimes.

[Amiduffer]

I wish I could get you William Warfields comments during master classes on the artistry behind conveying ideas through poetry. You'd love it, since he's from the old school.

[APTAPTAPT]

i too wish you could. but if you can't, how lucky we are that we have someone who seems to have attended william warfields lectures.

how about repeating some of the stuff he said.

i'd appreciate any bit of insight anyone has the generosity to offer.

[Amiduffer]

Most of them are on video tape. The sound quality in general is not too good, but, I imagine that I should try in the near future when I can get my PC setup.

[APTAPTAPT]

part 1 of 2

thanks for the reply.

it would really marvelous of you if could put the up...in due time, of course (i say that because i myself take forever to do such things.) do think i can save you the bother by doing some of my own searching, or do you think that will be unproductive. i'll look.

i think i saw (perhaps it was you who mentioned it)that the professor was interested in the poetic expression of intellectual abstractions. i am by no means familiar with

[brychar66]

thank you B!

[bafr1]

well done