The poem that stood out to me the most this week was definitely "The Snow Man" by Wallace Stevens. My favorite thing in any written work is when an author is able to perfectly illustrate a broad and relatable scene by focusing on tiny details that any reader, at some point, has certainly noticed. By describing the scenery in small parts, Stevens was able to put the reader in a cold, snow covered setting.
Another aspect that I enjoyed was the emotional effect that it had on me. Reading this poem seemed to put me in a significantly calmer state. Specifically referring to the last stanza,
"For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is."
This stanza struck me most of all, it sort of hit the nail right on the head. It conveyed this sense of peace in the midst of nothingness, a feeling that I have experienced on multiple occasions when standing outside as the snow falls. While a main highlight of this poem is certainly the imagery Stevens used, I believe the most significant aspect, at least in my opinion, is his way of being able to describe a feeling that I was never really able to identify, or even really describe, on my own.
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