The Emperor of Ice-Cream
Wallace Stevens
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 finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.
Take from the dresser of deal,
Lacking the three glass knobs , the sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protrude, they came
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.
Introduction : Obscure poem, yes , " The Emperor of Ice-cream" is one of the obscure poems written by Wallace Stevens. It is a poem of contrast . We find the contrast in the subject matter, in the theme, in the scene, in idea , in images and so on. A fine meaning , the philosophy of human life , emanates from the tight-knit contrast of the poem " The Emperor of Ice-cream".
Summary : Some gay and colourful activities are going on in the kitchen . Someone who has the power to command calls the big muscular man, the man who works in the cigar factory, to crank the ice cream. One finds in rich colourful dresses some girls, the scribbler girls, who are ascribed as the wenches, are present to enjoy the feast of ice-cream. Some working boys (yard-boys) are also present and they have brought some flowers wrapped in old news papers for either those girls who are ready for "concupiscent curds" or for decorating the bier of the old dead woman. The scullery-girls are enjoying much as in the gay occasion they dawdle around the kitchen and they have had the chance to flirt with the idle working boys. The poet says " Let be be finale of seem" which means ' let the reality be the epilogue over the appearance.' The only emperor in this scheme of creation is the emperor of ice-cream.
A corpse of the old woman is found lying on the bed. This very woman was the owner of the house. Another command comes from someone and it is to cover the dead body with a sheet. Really, there is lack of a shroud in that poor establishment. From the knobless dressing table a sheet is taken and spread over the dead body with a view to covering it. The sheet is decorated with the embroidery of fantails by the woman herself but is not big enough to cover the corpse of that woman. Naturally, her horny feet which bear the testimony of coldness and dumbness are protruded. Someone commands to affix the lamp or spotlight to make everything prominent. The only emperor in this scheme of creation is the emperor of ice-cream.
