Of Mere Being

"Of Mere Being" is the sixth poem and song in Ned Rorem's Last Poems of Wallace Stevens. The song is for solo voice, framed by a few measures of solo cello. The entire song cycle is for soprano, cello, and piano.

Date: 1972Composer: Ned RoremText: Wallace StevensSong Collection: Last Poems of Wallace Stevens

Print vitals & song text

Text

Of Mere Being
by Wallace Stevens

The palm at the end of the mind,
Beyond the last thought, rises
In the bronze distance.

A gold-feathered bird
Sings in the palm, without human meaning,
Without human feeling, a foreign song.

You know then that it is not the reason
That makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine.

The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

Sheet Music

Last Poems of Wallace Stevens

Composer(s): Ned Rorem

Song(s): 1. Not Ideas about the Thing but the Thing Itself
2. The River of Rivers in Connecticut
3. A Child Asleep in Its Own Life
4. The Planet on the Table
5. The Dove in Spring
6. Of Mere Being
7. A Clear Day and No Memories

Buy via Boosey & Hawkes

Support us and help us grow

Dear friends, Thank you for helping us build a comprehensive online archive of American song. Your gift is greatly appreciated.