And cobble ten thousand and three
Is more than a seven-foot inchworm
Could measure by moonlight in June.
What is the meaning of this stanza, and how does it fit in with the rest of the poem.
Hints: Identify sarcasm. An inch worm is slow, imagine how slow a seven-foot inchworm would be.
Compare the amount of moonlight in June to the rest of the months. We know there is plenty of daylight in June, but how often is the moon out.
Some of these distances seem impossible to measure. Can such long distances between the dark steeple and cobble be brought together? These impossibilites may symbolize other impossibilities that the speaker is trying to bring together.
Your task is to rewrite this stanza in your own words, conveying the same ideas that Stevens is trying to get across.