In this study the author argues that the narrative and representational aspects of Steven’s poetry has been neglected in favour of readings that stress his word play and rhetoricity. Stressing the poet’s familiarity with modern painting, this book shows how Steven’s concept of representation is deeply influenced by such figures as Picasso and Duchamp. Schwartz shows that Steven’s poetry needs to be understood in terms of a number of major contexts including the American tradition of Emerson and Whitman, the Romantic movement and the modernist tradition. Through analysis of selected poems, from every stage of Steven’s career, the author shows how the aesthetics and themes evolve. The author sees The Man with the Blue Guitar and Notes Towards a Supreme Fiction as central poems.