The Poetry of Wallace Stevens

Undergraduate / Graduate

After one has abandoned a belief in God," Wallace Stevens famously writes, "poetry is that essence which takes its place as life's redemption." This course will be devoted to reading Stevens closely. We will trace the development of his poetic vision focusing on his post-war collections. We will draw heavily upon his letters, lectures, and essays to make sense of the poetic works. We will also situate him alongside a wide array of English-language poets.