“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 used to wear, and let the boys
Bring flowers in last month’s newspapers.
Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.”
Wallace Stevens. “Emperor of Ice Cream”
Since we are on the subject of Ice Cream. An elaborate play on a line from Hamlet ("Your worm is your only emperor for diet"), this clever poem is striking for its magnificent alliteration as well as its come-and-go rhythm and rhyme scheme.
No comments:
Post a Comment