"The Emperor of Ice-Cream" by Wallace Stevens (poetry)

One explanation is that this actually happened: an old lady died suddenly. The poem is about the state of shock that follows a catastophic event. So, from the clues, the poet is recalling the death of a poor, possibly black, woman.

"The Emperor of Ice-Cream" is a local character, who is muscular, rolls big cigars and caters for events such as wakes and funerals. Maybe he calls himself Emperor because he runs an Emporium. Maybe he got the title as a joke on happier occasions. Here and now he represents death, the only Emperor.

When a shocking event happens it is a while before the mind accepts it as real. Until then it seems surreal. like a painting or a tableau. Thoughts are disordered and emotions can be absent or inappropriate. He lists his observations, which confirm or deny the tragedy. For instance, it seems inappropriate to serve treats such as ice-cream - concupiscent curds - in the circumstances. He arranges the scene in his mind and examines it. "Let the lamp affix its beam", is the final touch in the laying out of the tableau.

"Let be be finale of seem" is the decision to make an effort to accept the scene as real. Only when he accepts that the death is real can he allow himself to feel and express grief.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• emperor
• ice-cream
• Wallace
• Stevens
• poetry

[Harrygton]

Upon da face of death we see

da banality of it all...

all succumb to pleasure's embrace...

la petit morte conquers all in all

[SpokenVerse]

@Harrygton "la petite mort" means female orgasm, in case anybody reading this didn't know

[1027Beansie]

Please do tell me who is speaking -- this is such an extraordinary poem, and I haven't any idea who is reading it, though he does so with such a proper admixture of gravitas and sensual longing....

[SpokenVerse]

I read all the poems in this channel. Thank you for your kind words.

[PoetryETrain]

Thank you, this has been added to our playlists here and on facebook

[klpklp1971]

"The roller of big cigars" is the guy who prepares the body for burial; this person must be muscular, b/c they're handling and moving heavy, dead bodies all the time. The body is wrapped in a sheet, like a big cigar. Her "horny feet protrude", though.

"The Emperor of Ice-cream" is the "Emperor of Transience"; ice-cream melts. We die. All things are change. Nothing, and nobody, remains....

[SweetSweetWaldo]

Let be be finale of seem let the lamp affix its beam the only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream

[luthiersunite]

Please do The Anecdote of The Jar, you have been illuminating great poetry for me for many many months now.

[mthom]

The best reading of this poem Ive heard is by Ron Mclarty on the audiobook of Salems Lot.

[Harrygton]

@SpokenVerse

Actually, it means Orgasm... more appropriately in men... it literally means the "little death"! I have since modified and added one more line to this, which was tacit before:

Upon da face of death we see

da banality of it all...

Yet all succumb to pleasure's bid

la petit morte conquers all in all

Life moves on...

A friend sent me your video after I had told him about my mother's passing last night at the end of a long illness that had made her bones stick out... thanks!

[crandallpatterson]

The two keys to the poem are

1. Let be be finale of seem = let reality trump perception

2. The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream = The only thing that should rule are those transient joys that we mus'nt miss or take for granted.