The Emperor of Ice-Cream

Call the roller of big cigars,

The muscular one, and bid him whip

In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.

Let the wenches dawdle in such dress

As they are used to wear, and let the boys

Bring flowers in last month’s newspapers.

Let be be the finale of seem.

The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Take from the dresser of deal,

Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet

On which she embroidered fantails once

And spread it so as to cover her face.

If her horny feet protrude, they come

To show how cold she is, and dumb.

Let the lamp affix its beam.

The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

–Wallace Stevens.

This is my favorite poem that we’ve read so far in my American Lit class.  From what I can tell, I’m the only person who even liked Wallace Stevens!  I love the way the Stevens writes, in blank verse allowing the reader to focus on the vocabulary and the imagery used.  He shows in the first stanza that everything is short-lived and to “let be be the finale of seem” – let the here and now be enough, the ultimate; “the only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream” – the lord of the moment is the lord of simple pleasures.  I was so excited to get to class the day that we discussed it, I remember getting to class and hearing everyone else complain about it and how weird Stevens is.  But I loved it!  The two lines “let be be the finale of seem.  The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream” are my two favorite lines of the poem.  They’ve stuck with me.  I’ll randomly think of those two lines when I’m walking home or really doing anything!  I loved it and I wanted to share it with you!  I hope someone else out there likes it too!