We sometimes miss the referential force of Stevens' lines because we are unaccustomed to think of him as a descriptive poet. I shall argue throughout that Stevens is sometimes a poet of simple, accurate, realistic description. For example, the following lines are a precise description of banana leaves and banana flowers just beginning to set fruit.
Banana leaves and flowers, tout court.
Stevens' descriptive accuracy does not dissipate the sense of sexual mixed feelings here, but it does complicate this sense. While this is a humorous poem, it is nonetheless a palpably uneasy expression of Stevens' fear of the force of female sexuality. Female sexuality is felt to be something that can get out of hand, and drive a man crazy. If he had read a few of our novels, he would have torn himself to pieces.