Wallace Stevens' 'The Emperor of Ice-Cream' Interpretation

The Emperor of Ice-Cream

Poem Structure

• Two stanzas, each with eight lines.
• Unrhymed, not blank verse.

Title Significance

• The poem's title, "The Emperor of Ice-Cream," is repeated twice within the poem.
• It emphasizes the phrase "the only emperor."

Poetic Voice and Imperatives

• The poetic speaker directly addresses the reader or a group, using imperative verbs like "call," "let," and "bid."

First Stanza: The Kitchen Scene

• Preparation of food, likely ice cream.
• Sexual connotations are present, notably with the word "concupiscent" and the alliteration of the plosive /k/ in "cups concupiscent curds."
• Phallic symbolism: "big cigar" and the description of a muscular man.
• Girls are depicted having fun and flirting in the kitchen while ice cream is being made.
• The line "Let be be finale of seem" highlights a contrast between reality ("be") and appearances ("seem"), suggesting the triumph of reality.
• The recurring line: "The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream."
• While generally unrhymed, subtle echoes exist (e.g., "seem" and "ice-cream"). This suggests that the only true "emperor" is the persistent force of life.

Second Stanza: The Bedroom Scene

• The setting shifts from the kitchen to a bedroom, revealing a dead woman. Clues include "cold," the need "to cover her face," and her "horny" (calloused) feet, suggesting an older woman.
• The room conveys a sense of age and poverty, indicated by details like "lacing the three glass knobs."
• The sheet is insufficient to cover her entire body, implying its small size or the woman's large frame.
• Her attempts to escape poverty were unsuccessful, reinforcing the theme that reality ultimately reasserts itself.
• Subtle rhymes: "come" and "dumb."
• The line "Let the lamp affix its beam" echoes "Let be be finale of seem" and the poem's final line. This metaphorically suggests focusing on what is truly important: reality.

The Wake and Ice Cream

• The preparation of ice cream is a cultural contrast to the somber occasion. It is being made for the wake, for those attending the funeral.

Symbolism of Ice Cream

• The "Emperor of Ice-Cream" symbolizes several concepts:
  • Transience: Ice cream melts quickly, linking to the Carpe Diem theme – the fleeting nature of life and the need to seize the moment.
  • Coldness: Connects to the coldness of the dead woman.
  • Ephemeral Pleasures: Its sweetness represents the temporary joys of life.
  • Time: Implies the passage of time.
  • Fertility: (This connection is less explicit in the original text but mentioned, so it is retained).

Triumph of Life Over Death

• Despite the presence of death, the younger generation celebrates life through the act of making and consuming ice cream, signifying life's enduring power.