At least as controversial as the question about symbolism is whether and how Stevens' personal life should be read into his poetry. William Carlos Williams was not reluctant to do so, writing some months after Stevens' death, "He was a dandy at heart. You never saw Stephens in sloppy clothes. His poems are the result." The remarkable "Le Monocle de Mon Oncle" is particularly disputed with regard to the relevance of the biographical. Referring to the fact that Stevens' marriage to Elsie turned cold, Milton Bates writes, "Emotional deprivation became to some extent the condition of his craft, the somber backdrop for the motley antics of "Harmonium"." ("Monocle" may be compared to "From the Misery of Don Joost".) To balance the ledger, the love poem "Jasmine's Beautiful Thoughts Underneath The Willow" may be contrasted with "Monocle".