Quotation by

Wallace Stevens

Most people read poetry listening for echoes because the echoes are familiar to them. They wade through it the way a boy wades through water, feeling with his toes for the bottom: The echoes are the bottom.

Wallace Stevens

Poetry

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Wallace Stevens is saying that people often approach poetry by looking for familiar ideas or feelings that resonate with what they already know. This habit is like cautiously testing the ground beneath their feet, relying only on these familiar echoes to understand the poem instead of exploring its deeper or new meanings.

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