Emperor of ice-cream

“The emperor of Ice-Cream” written by Wallace Stevens in 1923, is a poem of and happiness. Stevens brings all of these to life through his use of diction and selection of detail. For the most part, this poem is very literal and straightforward, telling the reader directly what is going on within the scene. Only three lines could be considered figurative. The piece revolves around “the muscular one,” the one who makes the ice cream. They …

…be taken for what it literally means or as “let the truth be known.” The context and placement of the line refer to the truth being the woman was one of the company once, a fellow “wench.” Wallace Stevens uses selection of detail and diction to illustrate through his words the poor people gathered around the “wench” to mourn her loss. But the one happiness there to comfort them all, is the “Emperor of Ice-cream.”