A few days ago (ok let's be honest, weeks) Professor Sexson made the association between Language, Ideas, and the concept that we understand the world best before we dilute our world with more words. I was particularly struck by this notion, since I have been studying how to teach languages. What I learned was that we learn languages in a very specific way. First we Listen, then we Speak, then we Read, and finally Write. This is the order by which we understand language.
I tend to believe this theory, especially after I come to class and listen to the poetry. Here is where I begin to understand what is going on, where as when I sit at home, with my Bible in hand, and try to understand Steven's words all on my own, I struggle. And perhaps this is because I am actually trying rather than simply "listening" to the words. Maybe we focus too much on what we need to learn from the piece, rather than simply letting the information wash over us. This being said, I think what is beautiful about language, is that we move on from this, just as we will with Stevens. As we move past Harmonium, and into his later work, I know that I will need to speak (memorize) the poetry, Read more in-depth, and finish with Writing. Hopefully by using this process I can gain an open and deeper understanding of Stevens.
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