Auroras, Change And the Poetry of Wallace Stevens

The season changes. A cold wind chills the beach.

The long lines of it grow longer, emptier,

A darkness gathers though it does not fall

 

And the whiteness grows less vivid on the wall.

The man who is walking turns blankly on the sand.

He observes how the north is always enlarging the change,

 

With its frigid brilliances, its blue-red sweeps

And gusts of great enkindlings, its polar green,

The color of ice and fire and solitude.

 

The lines above are from “Auroras of Autumn,” a later-in-life poem by Connecticut’s own Wallace Stevens, man of many contrasts, a successful insurance executive who was also one of the most innovative and important poets of the 20th century.

The Cornwall Library in Cornwall, Conn., is presenting an eight-session special class (on Zoom) about Stevens, led by beloved book group leader Mark Scarbrough (of Colebrook, Conn., and also the author with his partner, Bruce Weinstein, of dozens of extremely popular cookbooks).

Scarbrough, who has a cult following among Tri-state region readers, describes Stevens as “the business executive as poet, the metaphysician as Hartford Insurance VP, the hulking wallflower, the shy brawler, the last Romantic, the first post-modern, the father of self-referentiality, the heir to John Keats, the foil to Robert Frost, the Republican Marxist, the quiet anarchist, the gawdy Puritan, the would-be sensualist in New England, the would-be prude in Key West. Stevens is all of these — and none. His poetry is arresting, mind-bending and gorgeous. Its images are haunting; its philosophy, disconcerting; its structure, impeccable.”

Even people who don’t love poetry love the poetry of Wallace Stevens. It is easy to read yet profound, complex and challenging. 

To learn more about the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, sign up for the class (you don’t have to be a resident of Cornwall), which will meet on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon on Zoom beginning Sept. 16 and ending Nov. 4.  There is no fee to participate; donations are welcomed. 

Information including the class syllabus and the specific poetry collection that will be used — as well as the registration form — can be found at the library website, www.cornwalllibrary.org.

Latest News

Foreign exchange students reflect on a year in the U.S.

Charlie Castellanos, left, and Allegra Ferri, right, sitting in the HVRHS library to talk about their experiences in the U.S.

Anna Gillette
“I would say if you are thinking about doing the program, do it because you get out of your comfort zone and learn so many things...” —Charlie Castellanos

Every year, Housatonic Valley Regional High School welcomes foreign exchange students to attend classes through the AFS Intercultural Programs. This school year, two students traveled to Northwest Connecticut to immerse themselves in American life and culture. Allegra Ferri, a 17-year-old from Italy, and 16-year-old Charlie Castellanos from Colombia sat down to reflect on their experience at HVRHS. As the academic year is coming to an end, they shared a few highlights of their time in the U.S. and offered advice to prospective exchange students.

What has been your favorite part of your exchange experience?

Allegra: “My favorite part of this exchange year was coming here and experiencing an American high school.”

Keep ReadingShow less
HVRHS students bring back student newspaper
From left, Ibby Sadeh, Anna Gillette, Nathan Miller, Maddy Johnson and Caitlin Hanlon proof the pages of HVRHS Today at the Lakeville Journal office while Shanaya Duprey teleconferences in on Thursday, May 29.
James H. Clark

Students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School wrote and produced the inaugural edition of HVRHS Today, a new publication by and for students in the Northwest Corner.

This inaugural issue of HVRHS Today marks the first student-led journalism effort at the high school in several years. The program is a collaboration between the Lakeville Journal, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the 21st Century Fund.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mountaineers take second place in WCLC

WATERTOWN — Housatonic Valley Regional High School girls lacrosse played Watertown High School for the Western Connecticut Lacrosse Conference championship Wednesday, May 28.

The cold, rainy game went back and forth with three ties and three lead changes. Watertown was ahead when it counted and earned a 6-4 victory to claim the league title.

Keep ReadingShow less