The River of Rivers...

In class Dr. Sexson was mentioned the Styx river and my Wallace Steven's poem: "The River of River's in Connecticut." Here is what I think the poem means, if anyone is interested. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter mentions the Styx river as well, so this may be helpful in that regard...

First of all Stygia is the ground around the Styx river that separates the living from the dead. This river was one of the 5 rivers that separated Hades from the world of the living, it was thought to be the river of hate. There is also an old ferryman, Charon, who ferries the dead into the ferry world. He tells you this also in line two when he says: 'Before one comes to the first black cataracts.' Stevens means that because this river takes you to the underworld, you are not yet dead. In this land of the dead even the trees are not themselves, they 'lack the intelligence of trees.' All throughout literature trees have been viewed as intelligent and wise, look at Treebeard! ;)

"In the river, far this side of Stygia, the mere flowing of the water is a gayety, flashing and flashing in the sun" Although this water leads to death, perhaps he is saying that the road to death is beautiful. This poem is also about change. 'You cannot step into the same river twice' said Heraclitus. The river is always running and changing, no one can tame it, not even God, not even Zeus.

What is interesting to me is that in the mythology of the Styx river it speaks of Charon, the ferryman who takes people to the underworld. In WS's poem he says 'but there is no ferryman, he could not bend against its propelling force.' Perhaps he means that because the river is ever changing, this is a new river, different from the Styx, but the same.

He then begins to talk about the town of Haddam in Connecticut. Perhaps he is using Connecticut to represent the imagination. Although death is always there, waiting to take you away, your imagination can save you from it, or at least make you forget about it. The poem turns at this point, becoming happier and lighter. This I believe is to show the power of the imagination, and how it can overcome death.