Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’ "Certain Phenomena of Sound" explores the interplay between sound, language, and existence, delving into the ways in which auditory phenomena and linguistic constructs shape perception and identity. Through its tripartite structure, the poem moves from a quiet meditation on absence and presence to an exploration of sound as a generative force and finally to a philosophical reflection on the power of names and words to define and create.

In the first section, Stevens establishes an atmosphere of stillness and emptiness. The opening line, "The cricket in the telephone is still," evokes an uncanny silence, as though the absence of sound carries its own resonance. This quiet extends to other images: a withering geranium, dry cat’s milk, and the emptiness of the room. These details create a tableau of abandonment and entropy, where life’s smaller rhythms are interrupted. Yet, amidst this quiet, the locust’s wings provide a sound tied not to emotion or purpose but to "calendar," a natural rhythm unanchored from human concerns. The spider spinning under the bed and the figure of "old John Rocket" introduce subtle signs of life and continuity, suggesting that even in stillness, existence persists.

Stevens juxtaposes this emptiness with the idea of time as a cyclical force, a "sound that time brings back." This line hints at memory and history, the way sound can evoke the past and connect it to the present. The act of listening becomes an engagement with time, a theme that echoes throughout the poem.

The second section shifts tone and context, introducing the figure of "Redwood Roamer" and a convivial scene of mango slicing, wine, and garden conversations. The sound of a "slick sonata" emanating from the house transforms music into a metaphor for nature—a self-sustaining system in which sound and meaning are generated. Stevens characterizes music as a "prolific narrative," a force that produces the very phenomena it describes. This idea aligns with his broader poetic philosophy: the imagination as a creative, world-making faculty.

The "Roamer" becomes emblematic of this generative capacity, a "voice taller than the redwoods," symbolizing the immense power of sound and narrative to shape perception. Here, sound is not merely an accompaniment to life but a foundational element of existence itself, a force that "produces everything else." This section celebrates the transformative and constructive potential of sound and imagination, contrasting sharply with the stillness of the first section.

The third section deepens the poem’s philosophical inquiry by exploring the relationship between language, identity, and existence. The speaker, identified as "Semiramide," addresses "Eulalia," creating a dialogue rooted in the power of names. The parasol, described as "a kind of blank in which one sees," becomes a metaphor for perception—a space in which light and shadow (and by extension, ideas and identities) are shaped.

Eulalia, described as "white, gold-shined by sun," embodies the connection between light and name, her existence tied intrinsically to her appellation. The speaker’s assertion that "there is no life except in the word of it" underscores Stevens’ belief in the centrality of language to human experience. To name something is to define it, to bring it into being within the realm of human understanding.

By naming herself "Semiramide," the speaker claims identity and agency, asserting the performative power of language. This act of self-definition contrasts with Eulalia’s ethereal presence, suggesting a tension between the material and the ideal, the self-constructed and the naturally luminous. The act of writing, of scripting oneself, becomes a metaphor for existence itself—a deliberate creation of meaning in an otherwise indifferent universe.

“Certain Phenomena of Sound” weaves these themes together, presenting sound and language as both anchors and architects of reality. The poem’s progression—from silence and emptiness to generative sound and linguistic self-creation—reflects a movement from passivity to agency, from the given to the made. Stevens challenges readers to consider how sound, narrative, and language shape their understanding of the world and themselves.

The interplay of sound and silence, the physical and the abstract, highlights the fragility and resilience of human perception. Through its richly layered imagery and philosophical depth, the poem becomes a meditation on the fundamental role of sound and language in navigating existence, affirming that the world is as much a construct of perception and imagination as it is an external reality.

Copyright (c) 2025 PoetryExplorer

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...