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Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" The houses are haunted By…

“Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" The houses are haunted By white night-gowns. None are green, Or purple with green rings, Or green with yellow rings, Or yellow with blue rings. None of them are strange, With socks of lace And beaded ceintures. People are not going To dream of baboons and…” quote by Wallace Stevens
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““Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock" The houses are haunted By white night-gowns. None are green, Or purple with green rings, Or green with yellow rings, Or yellow with blue rings. None of them are strange, With socks of lace And beaded ceintures. People are not going To dream of baboons and periwinkles. Only, here and there, an old sailor, Drunk and asleep in his boots, Catches tigers In red weather.””

Wallace Stevens

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The poem critiques conventional, bland domestic life and imagines a more vivid, imaginative existence beyond ordinary expectations.

In simple terms: Ordinary life lacks color; imagination offers richness.

Key Takeaway

Embrace imagination over routine.

Themes

imagination conformity mundane creativity

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary poetic

When to use this quote

  • daily routine
  • creative work
  • educational settings
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

modernism symbolism surrealism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you add color to daily life?
  • What limits your imagination?
A Different Perspective

May overlook practical responsibilities.

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