“Words are the only melodeon,” Wallace Stevens proclaims in “Adagia,” a collection of aphorisms about the art of poetry.
One of the 20th century’s greatest poets, Stevens invites us to think about his playful, meditative, and philosophical poems in relation to music. In this course, we will explore Stevens’s work with particular focus on his multiple musical aspects; his use of musical images (from birdsong to musical instruments); the complex voicing of his poems; the musical themes that punctuate his work; and the musical and poetic structures that he creates. Class sessions will be devoted to close readings of particular poems, and we will ask, among other questions, how is Stevens by turns philosophical and musical?
Class meets Tuesdays: April 5, 12 and 19. Sessions will be recorded and made available to registered students for later viewing.
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