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, that sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protrude, they come
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Next 10 Poems

• Wallace Stevens : The Load Of The Sugar Cane
• Wallace Stevens : The Man Whose Pharynx Was Bad
• Wallace Stevens : The Paltry Nude Starts On A Spring Voyage
• Wallace Stevens : The Place Of The Solitaires
• Wallace Stevens : The Plot Against The Giant
• Wallace Stevens : The Snow Man
• Wallace Stevens : The Surprises Of The Superhuman
• Wallace Stevens : The Wind Shifts
• Wallace Stevens : Theory
• Wallace Stevens : Thirteen Ways Of Looking At A Blackbird

Previous 10 Poems

• Wallace Stevens : The Doctor Of Geneva
• Wallace Stevens : The Death Of A Soldier
• Wallace Stevens : The Curtains In The House Of The Metaphysician
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 06 - And Daughters With Curls
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 05 - A Nice Shady Home
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 04 - The Idea Of A Colony
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 03 - Approaching Carolina
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 02 - Concerning The Thunderstorms Of Yucatan
• Wallace Stevens : The Comedian As The Letter C: 01 - The World Without Imagination
• Wallace Stevens : The Bird With The Coppery, Keen Claws