week 2 - The Snow Man

      "The Snow Man" was my favorite poem from this week's selection. I love the way a snow man is never mentioned but is still present throughout the entire poem. A snow man is built and stands outside all winter just like the one who "has been cold a long time" and "has a mind of winter." Only this person (or snow man) will be able to regard winter with as much awe and detail as Stevens does in this poem. A snow man is outside long enough to memorize the detail of "the pine trees encrusted with snow", "the junipers encrusted with ice", and "the spruces rough with glitter". "The sound of the land" will not be evident to anyone who hasn't been outside and exposed to winter as long as this snow man. The last stanza of this poem "For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is." implies to me that this being may not be a man who stays outside, but an actual snowman that children build for fun. It seemed that this poem embodied a snowman without actually mentioning its name. But another thing I loved about this poem was how much room it offered for interpretations. I loved the way everyone was able to interpret this poem the way they read it. Though many different paths were taken, they are all just as interesting to explore and work just as well.