Comments on: Dezembrum

By: angela

angela — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:13:22 +0000

I always took it as a faux-latination (to me, typical of Stevens’ playful-gestural “comic” style) that sounded simultaneously somber, slumberous, fantastical, and even vaguely circus-y,
the Z to remind you dr.seussily of the snoozy snore of the hibernating bear (ursa major, perhaps/perhasp).;
a somber cymbals-crescendo “Z” to announce the first of 2 “m”s which create the somber-settling effect somehow (bits of hummy dirge?).
the circusness is ramshackle-circusy, of course: A sad-because-meagre “Zampano is here!” kind of circus drum.
and the “-um” is a decidedly singular ENDing, right?–the death pov that anchors the multitudinously starry perspective (with its various miscellany of memory-memorabilia/ “junk”[=sampan;=heroin]) brings one to one’s inescapable “singularity”/?

I’m an old lady who may be severely lacking in netiquette knowledge, so i apologize if i’m doing anything wrong in posting this. It looks like this convo is long over, so maybe no one will notice/mind that i chimed in. I was just looking for a copy of the poem to read since my books are in storage and i thot i might find comfort in it(Dezembrum). if found this discussion interesting and heartening.

By: Daryl Scroggins

Daryl Scroggins — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:08:06 +0000

Thanks for the link, Jeff–this is just the thing I was looking for.

By: Jeff Ventura

Jeff Ventura — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:28:54 +0000

I think Dezembrum is a persona created by Stevens’ himself. If true, it fits the poem’s description of two hierarchies in this life, one of man, the other, God.

I would think this explanation also suggests why some members of the Catholic Answer Forum choose Dezembrum as a username. Seems to the avante garde enough to be kitchy while still maintaining an obscure religious reference.

Then again, I might be full of it. But this is my best guess.

Hints here.

By: Daryl Scroggins

Daryl Scroggins — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:18:50 +0000

Thanks Rick! It seems you have caught some of my urge here to sleuth about. I mostly want to know more because I am thinking of assigning the poem in a class and anticipate questions like: “Why didn’t he just name it December?” And I like to be sure that I’m not missing something myself when I respond to such questions. One thing I found that I like a lot for its associations is the Latin word “Bruma.” The root you point out is the sort of thing I’ve been looking at too, and “Bruma” refers to the winter solstice, and, in the same entry in my Latin dictionary, this: “II. Poet , winter, wintry cold..” So perhaps the “z” in the word (rather than the “c” we might expect) just reinforces a sense of an end, and the “a” at the end has been left off (no beginning to things, but an end may be seen). This seems a little too intricate, perhaps, but Stevens often had great levels of subtlety working in the manipulation of single words.

By: Rick Neece

Rick Neece — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:29:13 +0000

I found this:

“BRUM”, the root of the verb “phèro”, meaning “to carry”. To carry December?

Where’s Sheila? If any might know, surely Sheila.

By: Rick Neece

Rick Neece — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:01:05 +0000

I love the sound of it. Somewhere, in some old/middle English past December, maybe, swizzled up with “conundrum” maybe? It’s the “brum” that’s speaking to me, tickling some inkling. I can’t place it. It’s on the tip on my tongue. I googled, too. I got nothin’. It’s kind of where I find myself this evening.

All the songs of “The Decemberists” are playing in my head, at the same time right now. It’s…it’s right on the tip on my tongue.

By: Daryl Scroggins

Daryl Scroggins — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:04:44 +0000

Thanks Deron. It may well be just a word for “December,” but Stevens was always sending somebody over to the library to look up obscure words for him, and I wonder if this exact spelling might be found. Maybe I can find out what dictionary and edition of it he favored. But, truth be told–it’s just as likely that he simply liked the sound of it.

By: Deron Bauman

Deron Bauman — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:37:59 +0000

from the catholic answers forum: Ok well I'm new here. And I really don't know a whole lot about some things. But I was reading a poem the other day by Wallace Stevens and it was titled "Dezembrum" and I had no clue what the word meant? And I searched and found that someone on here has the screen name of Dezembrum and I was wondering if I could be told what the definition meant? Thank you in advance I really appreciate it.