Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Wallace Stevens’ “Though Valentine Brings Love” is a lighthearted poem that stands apart from much of his more complex and abstract work, offering a playful reflection on inspiration and the sources of poetic creativity. With its simple rhyme scheme and conversational tone, the poem reveals Stevens’ capacity for wit and charm, while still gesturing toward themes of love, beauty, and the unexpected sparks of inspiration that animate art.

The poem begins by setting up two conventional sources of inspiration: love, represented by Valentine, and beauty, embodied by Spring. These two concepts, deeply entrenched in poetic tradition, are framed as inadequate to stir the speaker’s “poetic duty.” This rejection of the traditional is central to Stevens’ larger body of work, where he often challenges and redefines the sources of poetic meaning. Here, Stevens does so with humor, undermining the gravitas of these archetypal muses with his refusal to be moved by them.

The turn in the poem comes with the introduction of “Elsie and Holly,” whose influence on the speaker is not only more profound but also more joyful: “And do it daily— / Much more than Valentine or Spring / And very much more gaily.” This pivot shifts the focus from abstract ideals to personal, tangible figures, suggesting that poetry springs not from lofty concepts but from the intimate and particular. Elsie and Holly—presumably real individuals or playful inventions—become the unexpected muses, whose presence and vitality inspire the speaker more authentically than the grand themes of love and seasonal renewal.

The poem’s form contributes to its lightheartedness, employing a singsong rhythm and a consistent rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD) that mirrors its playful subject matter. The simplicity of the structure mirrors the accessibility of the poem’s theme: that inspiration can come from the ordinary and the delightful, rather than from the traditionally exalted. The straightforward diction and lack of Stevens’ usual complexity make the poem feel like a personal aside, a charming and direct expression of gratitude toward the figures who truly motivate the speaker.

The humor in contrasting the uninspiring Valentine and Spring with the vibrancy of Elsie and Holly underscores a broader commentary on the nature of poetic inspiration. Stevens suggests that true creativity arises from unexpected sources, from the personal and the immediate rather than from the abstract and idealized. In this sense, the poem aligns with his broader modernist ethos, which often rejects traditional romanticism in favor of finding beauty and meaning in the everyday.

“Though Valentine Brings Love” is a brief but delightful meditation on the unpredictable nature of inspiration. Through its playful tone and intimate focus, the poem highlights Stevens’ belief in the vitality of the particular over the abstract. By elevating the significance of Elsie and Holly over Valentine and Spring, Stevens celebrates the personal and the unexpected, reminding us that poetry—and perhaps life itself—derives its richness from the everyday joys that we might otherwise overlook.