Talk:The Emperor of Ice-Cream
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Interpretation
[edit]Seems to me that an Interpretation section violates Wikipedia's 'No original research' policy if no sources are cited; if the article is to have such a section, it should be later in the article and should offer only externally-sourced interpretations of the poem.
That section also has a (to me) fairly obvious inaccuracy. In the interpretation of the line "Let be be finale of seem", the current page says '... suggesting that the "finale of be(ing)" should also be considered the finale of "seem(ing)"'. Yet the line in the poem doesn't say anything about the 'finale of be'; it says that be is itself the finale of seem. In other words, 'seeming,' or the facade that people maintain for others during life, has given way to 'being,' or the stark reality of the body stripped of all consciously-maintained outward appearances - an impression that is later reemphasized by the image of the woman's 'hoary feet'. So I think that line in particular should be rewritten or stricken, that is, if the original research here is kept. -Memetics (talk) 04:33, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
Tossed the whole interpretation section. Not only is it questionable research, as stated above, but it's also not anything more than a superficial reading. No one is whipping "concupiscent curds" at a funeral. The first stanza is the woman as a young, enlivened character at a ball or what-be-it. It's presented to contrast with the second stanza, where she is stone-cold dead. I'm not adding this into the article itself because I haven't got any sources; if you truly believe otherwise feel free to revert, I won't argue. Aero777x1 (talk) 09:58, 25 January 2012 (UTC)
Yes someone is whipping "concupiscent curds" at a funeral. It's an argument embracing sensual pleasures and life, and saying that there is nothing more to these pleasures or life than to enjoy them (let be be finale of seem). That's why the dead body only shows "how cold she is, and dumb" and does not remind anyone of God or an afterlife. It is also why there are ice-cream, flowers, cigar-rollers and cigars etc. at the funeral instead of a priest, bible, prayers etc. And, finally, the reason why the 'only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream,' is that in the world of the poem God or Jesus Christ are not king, but sensual pleasure (represented by 'ice-cream'). The hedonism fits in perfectly with the rest of the poems of 'Harmonium,' and the dismissing of religion with all of Steven's oeuvre. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.110.82.179 (talk) 22:37, 3 June 2012 (UTC)