by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955)
This Vast Inelegance
Language: English
This vast inelegance may seem the blankest desolation, Beginning of a green Cockaigne to be, disliked, abandoned, In which the bliss of clouds is mark of an intended meeting Between the matin air and color, goldenest generating, Soother and lustier than this vexed, autumnal exhalation, So sullen with sighing and surrender to marauding ennui.
Text Authorship:
- by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955), "This Vast Inelegance", written 1921, first published 1950 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robin Holloway (b. 1943), "This Vast Inelegance", op. 27 no. 1 (1974) [ soprano and piano ], from cantata The Leaves Cry, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2026-07-08
Line count: 6
Word count: 54