Disillusionment+of+Ten+O'Clock

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Wallace Stevens is best known and respected for his “unusual points of view, colorful imagery, humor, rhetorical virtuosity, and a probing philosophical spirit” (Chavkin). His best poems, like “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock,” showcase this. Stevens was inspired by poets of the Romanticist period, often using imagery and themes of feeling. In “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock,” Stevens explores the need to live life to the fullest and not accept an ordinary life (“Disillusionment”). It is a Modernist poem due to its structure and the way that it captures the spirit of post-World War I America ("Disillusionment"). Stevens was afraid of falling into a boring life, and this poem portrays that fear well. "Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" shares a theme of dreams with many of Stevens' other works, and a "seize the day" spirit with other Modernist writers (Chavkin).

There are many “Modern” qualities of “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock.” The most obvious is the “live life to the fullest” theme that was often present in works from the Jazz Age (Reuben). In the poem, Stevens describes the ordinary people that “haunt” the houses, or dream. Their nightgowns are always white, never colored, and “none of them are strange” (“Disillusionment”). Every once in a while, though, there is a sailor who dreams of “catching tigers in red weather.” It’s clear that Stevens thinks that people should dream of “baboons and periwinkles” and not settle for a “white” life. Also, there is no rhyme scheme in “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock,” which also fits Modernism in that it rejects ordinary structure (Reuben).

Stevens is also remembered for leading a double life. During the day, he was an insurance lawyer, and at night, he was a poet (Chavkin). He enjoyed his work, both at the insurance company where he was employed and as a writer. His first volume of poetry, Harmonium, was published in 1923, but it didn’t receive much attention. After he was promoted to vice-president at the company, he began to publish regularly (Chavkin.) It is possible that he took up writing poetry because he was afraid of living an uninteresting life like the one described in “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock.” He traveled often, and enjoyed classical music and gardening (Chavkin). He also investigated the connection between one’s imagination and reality in his poetry, which was inspired by George Santayana, whom Stevens met while enrolled at Harvard College. Santayana also believed that poetry could take the place of traditional religion in one’s life, which is reflected in Stevens’ poems “Sunday Morning” and “The High-Toned Old Christian Woman” (Chavkin).   Many of Stevens’ poems have a common theme of dreams. Like “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock,” “Hymn from a Watermelon Pavillion” explores the relationship between what we dream of and what is real. In the poem, Stevens describes a “dweller in the dark cabin” who dreams of many things, much like the sailor in “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock.” “Disillusionment” is similar to Langston Hughes’ “I, Too” in that both poems have a sort of “seize the day” theme. In “I, Too,” Hughes talk s of the African Americans waiting while they’re pushed in the background to grow strong and rise up. In Stevens’ poem, dreaming is where people seize the day. "Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" is one of Wallace Stevens' most famous poems, and for good reason. It portrays the Jazz Age state of mind well, and it fits Modernist structure. Stevens wanted people to dream of "baboons and periwinkles" and not settle for anything less. He followed this same belief in his own life, which no doubt affected his writings. It also shares a theme of dreams with other works from the time period. Stevens is best remembered for his "live life in color" spirit that he captures in his poems.


 * Works Cited**

Chavkin, Allan. "Stevens, Wallace." Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Into the Modern: 1896-1945. Vol. 3. New York: Facts On File, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. .

Hughes, Langston. "I, Too, Sing America." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. .

Reuben, Paul P. "Early Twentieth Century: A Brief Introduction." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. California State University Stanislaus, 24 May 2009. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. .

Stevens, Wallace. “Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock.” Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. .

Stevens, Wallace. "Hymn from a Watermelon Pavilion." Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation, 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2010. .