Tea
When the elephant’s-ear in the park
Shrivelled in frost,
And the leaves on the paths
Ran like rats,
Your lamp-light fell
On shining pillows,
Of sea-shades and sky-shades
Like umbrellas in Java.
Editor’s note: Wallace Stevens is a poet known for his unique symbolism. The speaker in this poem is addressing Tea, the “you” in this poem. You can read an interpretation of the poem here.
Thank God for the interpretation…….I was lost.
Ken Kesey once wrote of Wallace Stevens, “If you don’t think you get it, that means you get it.” Remembering Stevens’ other famous works, “Anecdote of the Jar,” and “!3 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” are also a real stretch. You have to admit that the title of this one, “Tea,” is lovely.