Adagio

Adagio: plural of adage. Adage: memorable saying which holds some important fact of experience that is considered true by many.

I am very amazed at the beauty of Wallace Stevens’ Adagio. While reading, I got the feeling that it was very real. Adagio exemplifies Wallace’s belief system: to him life and poetry are like a religion. Even though Stevens poetry is secular, is not altogether without the belief in a higher power. Stevens states that “it is the belief and not the god that counts. Stevens is in love with life, which is the inspiration for his poetry and his poetry is his belief system, as he states that “poetry is like prayer.” Stevens poetry reminds me a bit of Rastafarianism. Rastas believe in a higher power, Jah, but instead of reaching Jah through attending church they feel closer to him through nature and living life in a certain way. So nature, life, and everything around them are like their religion rather than holy books and temples. I really love Stevens’ poetry because of his love of life, the world around him, and the pleasure found in the here-and-now moments.