Old poetry vs. modern poetry
There is a reason why this poem is titled "Of Modern Poetry," and its first few lines give clues as to the importance of differentiating "modern poetry" (poetry of the 20th century) from what came before. Stevens says that in earlier ages it was easier for the poetic mind to "find" meaning: "the scene was set; it repeated what / Was in the script." This means, somewhat dismissively, that before the 20th century all poets had to do was follow established conventions in order to make good art. Part of the struggle of modern poets, then, is that "the theatre was changed:" as a result of the Industrial Revolution, the growth of technology, and the devastation caused by the World Wars, pastoral odes and saccharine love sonnets no longer have the same impact they once did. Poets must find radically new ways of finding meaning and giving readers a way to make sense of the world, to "construct a new stage" for their art.
For Stevens' early writing, this new way was primarily to look within the mind itself and to cultivate the human powers of perception and creativity. "Of Modern Poetry" follows that technique, but steps into a more outward-looking mode temporarily, and is a bit more socially conscious: the poet must also frankly assess the real world around him, and speak to real people's real-life experiences.
Meaning amid chaos
Poetry's purpose, according to this poem, is to create meaning and order out of chaos, to give readers something true and right to hold on to. This meaning can come in different forms, and must be responsive to its audience; Stevens rather straightforwardly writes that sometimes poems need to tell an audience "exactly that which it wants to hear." The process of this meaning-making is described in the passage right before the second broken line: the poem is like a musician whose instrument gives sudden rightness and clarity to whatever sounds pass through it. In other words, poetry can take the dark and confusing mess of the world and give it meaning. "It must be the finding of a satisfaction," the ending of the poem tells us. It is worth noting the "a" in "a satisfaction"—meaning that the satisfaction poetry offers is not going to be universal. Rather, it can offer something unique and valuable to each person.
The human mind
Like most famous Stevens poems, "Of Modern Poetry" asserts the poet's belief in the supreme importance of the human mind. However, this poem does so in a more sensitive way than many earlier works. Whereas poems such as "The Snow Man" and "The Idea of Order at Key West" primarily asserted the power of the mind to create, this later poem asserts that poetry also has a duty to meet the needs of the mind, the need for emotional and mental clarity. The first line tells us that a poem must reflect the "mind in the act of finding / What will suffice"—i.e., in the act of finding enough meaning and hope to make life worthwhile. This sentiment is echoed in that the poem must tell its audience what "it wants to hear." Stevens' longing for a poem capable of "wholly / Containing the mind," and that thus does not "descend" below or "rise" beyond the level of the mind, emphasizes the importance of poetry as a vessel for the needs and struggles of the human mind as we seek meaning and satisfaction in life.
Ordinary people
One of the duties of poetry, in this view, is to pay attention to ordinary people, the "men of the time and...women of the time." The poem suggests that something worthwhile and meaningful can be found in each person, and that an effective poet must engage with the people around them. Critic Mark Halliday notes that, especially in comparison with other Stevens work, "Of Modern Poetry" gives a definite "encouragement concerning interpersonal relationships." Part of the payoff of this investment in one's everyday community may be conveyed in the poem's last few lines: common "satisfaction" can be found in the simple actions of individuals, such as skating or dancing.
Sympathy and emotional peace
One of the ideal effects of the modern poem, as described in the poem's middle section, is that the audience members listen to themselves and experience "an emotion as of two people, as of two / Emotions becoming one." This image suggests an emotionally reconciling peace: bringing together clashing emotions within oneself, perhaps, and also bringing two people's emotions together. On a basic, etymological level, "sympathy" means "feeling-together," and thus is perhaps the best way to describe the experience Stevens hopes audiences will have, in which they feel and sense each other together through their humanity: critic David Walker calls it "imaginative sympathy." This kind of notion would have seemed essential to American readers in 1942, in some of the bleakest moments of World War II.
Realism in poetry
According to Stevens, part of poetry's job, as much as it needs to give audiences emotional clarity and meaning, is to be honest and realistic about the world, not false or escapist. This is first done by acknowledging that the "theatre" of poetry has changed, and one cannot successfully appease readers with old-fashioned verses. Moreover, poetry "has to think about war"—especially the two World Wars that had occurred since the Modernists started writing poetry—and be pragmatic about that evil and darkness.
