Wallace Stevens, Anecdote of the Jar

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Frequently anthologised and widely researched, “Anecdote of the Jar” (1919) is, despite its length, one of the most well-known poems in

Harmonium

, Wallace Stevens’ first published collection of poems (1923). The status and importance of the poem, similar to those of the other short pieces entitled “anecdotes” in the volume – such as “Earthy Anecdote”, “Anecdote of the Prince of Peacocks” and others – seem deceptively secondary to longer, more complex poems such as “The Comedian as the Letter C”, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” or “Notes Towards a Supreme Fiction”. Strategically placed within the volume – the riddle poem “Earthy” anecdote opens the book – these anecdotes typically deepen, modify or challenge ideas which have been already…

1880 words

Citation: Jiménez Muñoz, Antonio José. "Anecdote of the Jar". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 September 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6660, accessed 06 October 2024.]

6660 Anecdote of the Jar 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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