The poem "The Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" by Wallace Stevens is a short, but powerful piece that speaks to the universal human experience of disillusionment and the search for meaning in a confusing and often disappointing world.
In the first stanza, Stevens sets the scene with a group of men walking through the night, "dressed in their nightclothes." These men are described as "mechanical" and "barely conscious," suggesting a sense of detachment and disconnection from the world around them.
The second stanza presents a contrast to the mechanized, sleep-walking men with the image of "a long white telephone" that "calls them." The telephone, symbolizing the outside world, is described as "a long white bird" that "twitters in the tree." This image of the bird represents a sense of hope and possibility, a call to wake up and engage with the world.
However, in the third stanza, this sense of hope is quickly shattered as the men are confronted with the reality of their lives. They are "the machinists of the heart" who have "made the mechanical night," suggesting that they have been complicit in their own disillusionment and have allowed their lives to become empty and mechanical.
The final stanza presents a sense of despair as the men are left to contemplate their lives and the futility of their existence. They are "grown old," and their "voices echo / As if they spoke from underground." This image suggests that they have lost touch with the world and are trapped in a kind of existential limbo.
Overall, "The Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" is a poignant and thought-provoking poem that speaks to the universal human experience of disillusionment and the search for meaning in a confusing and often disappointing world. Its powerful imagery and themes of detachment, hope, and despair resonate deeply with readers and invite us to reflect on our own lives and the choices we have made.
A Critical Analysis of Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock by Wallace Stevens
By looking at the dreams and appearance differences between the old sailor and the residents in the house, contrast can be used to see the lifestyle changes between the two, due to the amount of imagination and creativity each possessed. This clothing description reminds a picture created by many painters, magazine designers, book editors, and so on in which we see a typical ghost as something white and airy; even little children trying to imitate ghosts dress in long white linens. When the people are unable to have these dreams, they can only dream of things that lack beauty, are dull, and uninteresting. The emphasis upon color in this poem is unusual; rather than being descriptive of actual objects, the words denoting color instead seem to refer to fantasy or imagined images. A disillusionment refers to the disappointing discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. Through a variety of literary means and devices such as simile, comparing and contrasting, and repetition, the author encourages his readers to think about the lives of people living in urban territories who are subjected to daily routines, isolation, idleness, and unhappiness.
Poetry Explication on Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary symbolism: is the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art. His life is full emotions and incredible experiences which even affects his dreams. The overall impression produced by such devices is in idleness and useless surrounding the personages of the poem. Thus, the poet encourages people to be active, to leave their houses from time to time, and to find themselves in unusual surroundings where baboons can be seen. First of all, white color of night-gowns is in contrast with bright colors mentioned in these lines. Poe gushes over her beauty and Doolittle demonizes her for "past ills.
Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock by Wallace Stevens
Only, here and there, an old sailor, Drunk and asleep in his boots, Catches tigers In red weather. Thus nothing sprouts into being in these dreams for these banal dreamers. The "haunted" image suggests loneliness, perhaps a lost love or a wished-for sexual or marital union that did not occur. They can just be for fun. Elga Asmaraning Galileo 1202619012 4. The white nightgowns that "haunt" the houses refer to brides who do not inhabit these dwellings; the descriptive colors of the absent nightgowns convey a melancholy regret at the loss of energy and joy that might have come with marriage and partnership. As poetry is continues to be written, the reader begins to see patterns within each poem.
What is the theme of "Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock"?
The dullness and conformity of these people's lives disappoint the speaker, and contrast with the colorful, vivid dreams of an old, drunken sailor. Red weather at night promises happiness and joy. The remaining lines of the poem speaks only of the old sailor having drunk dreams of "Catching Tigers in red weather. None are green, Or purple with green rings, Or green with yellow rings, Or yellow with blue rings. The color white can be associated with the idea of being bland, basic, and boring. This word-combination with its vibrancy and excitement appeals to me because I also believe that daily routines should not stop people in their desire to bring more emotions into their lives.
