Interpretation of The Snow Man by Stevens

The poem I chose to write about this week is “The Snow Man” by Wallace Stevens. The audience is specifically directed to the cold-hearted individuals who tend to focus on the outside beauty rather than the beauty that lies within.

The language is casual which makes it easier for the audience to understand and interpret. I think the tone of the poem is rather melancholy. The writer focuses on the beautiful aspects of winter that the naked eye tends to view and pay attention to rather than the underlying pain of the damage caused to the land. The poet seems to be writing in the midst of emotion rather than at some distance. It seems as if he is angry with those who look at winter and see nothing but the images of frost and trees crusted with snow rather than the underlying hurt of it all. It is as if he has a personal vendetta against those who focus on the outside rather than the inside. I don’t think the poem warrants two readings. It is well written and one reading is enough to understand the content of the poem, however a second reading might help the reader understand the true meaning a little more.

The images truly advance the meaning of the poem. When the poet writes the descriptive details of the images of the pine-trees crusted with snow as well as the junipers shagged with ice and spruces rough in the distant glitter, it gives the reader a sense of being a part of the poem. It helps the reader visualize the beauty of winter and nature. At the end of the poem, the poet explains how all of the visions he previously described are just images alone. He writes of how images of beauty are just that, images of beauty but they do not show the underlying truth of it all and the sorrow that lies underneath.

My initial reaction to the poem was confusing at first because I was so intrigued by the beginning descriptions and images that started off the poem and then turned to such melancholy when I realized the message the writer was trying to convey. I was able to completely understand the poem without having to re-read it, however I was taken aback by the ending and the overall meaning. I think the writer did a very good job in connecting with the reader.