Biography

            As one of the most noted poets of the early and mid 20^th century, William Carlos Williams lead an eventful life. Despite working as a doctor for most of his life, Williams still managed to find time to write a variety of short stories, novels and many anthologies of poems. He served as a key member in a variety of writing movements, all while working with, and mentoring many of the younger authors of his time. Williams’ contributions to American poetry were massive, and his influence can still be seen in the poets of today.

            Williams was born in Rutherford, New Jersey on September 17, 1883 to parents who were deeply involved in the arts. His mother was an avid painter who loved the theater, while his father was a book lover who introduced Williams to famous classic works such as Shakespeare. Because of this, from early on in his life, William Carlos Williams lived in an environment that appealed to his creative side. However, his childhood was by no means easy. As a deeply religious man, Williams’ father sought to raise a child with a perfect set of morals. Along with this, Williams learned from an early age that he was expected to succeed, so he worked as hard as he could to fulfill these expectations. With a focused work ethic, William Carlos Williams was able to graduate from high school, and attend college at the University of Pennsylvania to study medicine.

            In college, Williams truly began to immerse himself in the world of writers and poets. He found idols in the noted poets of the time such as Walt Whitman. Williams studied the works of the noted poets of his time, and was able to develop his own writing to mirror their styles. However, the biggest influence on Williams’ writing during his college career came in his long time friend Ezra Pound. Through Pound, Williams met a circle of young artists who helped him discover the freedom in writing and art, which he had never found before. Previously, his writing strictly conformed to the carefully measured meter like that of Walt Whitman, but with the help of this new circle of friends, William Carlos Williams was able to leave behind the binding structure of older poets.

This circle of friends, including poet Hilda Doolittle and artist Charles Demuth, began to form the center of what is known as the Imagist movement. Although this movement had previously been seen in the areas of painting and fiction, poetry remained an area where conformity to the traditional style was necessary for success. In his second published book of poems, The Tempers, Williams’ work resembled the Imagist ideals, as he broke free from the traditional meter of poetry.

After graduating college, Williams began forty years of work at a private practice as a doctor. This work, although taxing on him, proved to be one of the greatest influences to his poetry. Through his work as a doctor, he was able to see all different kinds of humanity, and apply the stories he witnessed to his poetry. By spending years constantly seeing births, deaths, suffering, and rehabilitation, Williams witnessed many of the beautiful, and ugly aspects of life often never seen by a single individual. After witnessing any particularly remarkable event, Williams would simply write down his feelings on any piece of paper at hand. Because of this, despite working long hours at his practice, Williams was able to remain a prolific writer throughout the middle of his life.

During his lifetime, Williams always steered away from the traditional sense of writing poetry. Despite being good friends, it was noted that Williams disliked Ezra Pound’s writing style as it used too many unnecessary allusions. Instead of this, Williams was know for not using the typical meter of poetry, while still keeping his poems simple and to the point. The language he used was simple and American, playing into the nationalism that was present in the late 40s after World War II. However, one of the biggest impacts on American poetry that Williams had was in the generation of poets that followed him. William Carlos Williams was always willing to mentor any developing poets that sought him out. He had profound influence on many different poetic movements, and helped fashion developing poets into masters of the literary art. By helping to refine the styles of young poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Theodore Roethke, and H. H. Lewis, Williams firmly established his legacy among the future generation of writers.

Late in his life, Williams’ health began deteriorating immensely. After a heart attack in 1948, his body began to shut down entirely. Shortly after the initial trauma, Williams suffered from a series of strokes that left him unable to work as a doctor anymore. He was admitted into a psychiatric ward briefly due to immense depression. However, despite all of these physical traumas, Williams continued to write. The events that took place in his own life simply gave him more to write about using his intense realism to depict the human side of suffering and aging. During this time, Williams released numerous anthologies of his work, and continued to mentor any young poets who sought him out. However, on March 4, 1963, Williams died in his home.

The legacy of William Carlos Williams is that of a poet who broke ground in removing the boundaries that used to restrict the creative process. Along with that, a generation of poets emerged under Williams’ mentoring that would prove to spearhead many literary movements into modern times. During his lifetime, Williams’ works were only predominately known in the United States. However, shortly after his death, his work was published in Europe, and he gained worldwide acclaim. For Williams, though, writing was never about the fame and notoriety. Rather, he saw poetry as a way of sharing with people stories that display the aspects of humanity that bind us all. 

Emotional Response

            The poem “A Sort of a Song” by William Carlos Williams describes the creative process that is undertaken by any form of artist. As someone who attempts to create music, this poem especially resonates with me. I find the imagery used to be particularly vivid and true, as Williams accurately describes the basic steps of the creative process. In that regard, I found myself relating this poem to my own life on a number of levels. Initially, I found that it was simple to relate it to my creative process of writing music, but upon further analysis, I found that there are many areas of my life that the same steps are taken to achieve success.

            This poem begins with a simple metaphor of a snake laying in wait underneath a leaf. In this case, the snake represents an artist simply observing their surroundings, looking for an opportunity to generate the creative spark. Then, Williams describes the snake making a quick and precise attack in the same way that a flash of inspiration can appear to an artist. From this point in the poem onward, Williams describes the birth and growth of a piece of work. He uses the metaphor of the saxifrage plant that is able to grow from the crevices of rocks to explain the process, noting that the creative process is rooted in the tangible and physically observable world. Based upon this analysis, I saw many areas that this could apply to my own life, but most notably, in my music.

            When I attempt to write a song, I often find it futile to simply sit alone in a room and hope for a flash of inspiration. Instead, I find there to be a much greater possibility of me coming up with a usable idea if I am surrounded by activity in a public setting. In this setting, I am able to witness events take place, and search for a real world example of the emotion I attempt to convey through my music. Because of this, I was able to relate to the snake that Williams describes in his poem. I try not to force my creative process to happen, but rather simply wait for an opportunity to present itself. However, once I find a possible topic for a song, I waste no time in writing down my idea, or laying down the framework of the music. Once again, this relates to the snake, as it makes quick, but precise attacks on vulnerable objects. From that point forward, my creative process is simply a form of growth and development. I outline the general concept of a song I attempt to write and hope that I am continually inspired to see it through to completion. In this regard, I truly relate to Williams’ poem in that my songs, no matter how obscure they seem, are always rooted in the real world and events that take place around me.

            After reading through the poem several times, though, I found that there are many other areas of my life that this poem can relate to. Other than music, my primary passion is the sport of running, and strangely enough, I found this poem reflecting the manner in which I approach an important race. While it seems that in races, and the time leading up to races, many individuals attempts to force themselves into a position where they can run well tactically. However, I find that for myself, I have a much better chance of succeeding if I am simply patient and wait for an opportunity to present itself, rather than making a rash and impulsive decision. In this regard, the metaphor of the snake once again reflected in the actions of my own life. The snake, in this case, simply waits under its weed until there is an opportunity for it to strike, rather than venturing out and attacking unprovoked. This relation may seem to be a bit of a stretch, but coming from an extensive running background, I have began to see running as an art rather than a simple activity. Because of this, the creative process described in this poem applies to running, and any other activity that one is passionate about.

My Race at the Cal/Nevada Championships

            While I am in no way stating that my creative process is on the same level as that of William Carlos Williams, the basic steps of any inspired activity is always the same. In the way that Williams describes writing, one can derive any sort of creative activity. For some, that may be athletics, for others, painting or music. In all cases, though, one must find some form of inspiration, and cultivate it until it grows into something great. One beautiful aspect of this poem is that Williams writes it with the perfect amount of detail so that one could see that the initial intent was to describe writing, but still find meaning in it for whatever passion they have. Williams made a point with all of his writing to only include the bare minimum amount of detail, and the result of that is the audience being able to interpret and apply his works to their own lives.

            By applying this poem to important aspects of my own life, Williams’ work is able to take on a much more realistic meaning to me. As is the case with all poems, it is important for the reader to relate to the subject matter. In this regard, Williams excels above other poets by leaving his poems open to interpretation. The poem “A Sort of Song” is written just like this, as it is able to be applied to the creative process of any individual who looks to the real world for inspiration in any activity that they are passionate about.

Artist's Circle

           As a young man, William Carlos Williams constantly sought to find inspiration for his writing in old works of great poets.  Often, it seemed, his work simply emulated the styles of old authors, without necessarily having himself create his own style. However, upon entering college, Williams found himself immersed in a place where other individuals who shared his passion for creating surrounded him. One such individual was the great imagist poet, Ezra Pound.

            According to William Carlos Williams himself, “before meeting Ezra Pound is like B.C. and A.D.”. After meeting Pound, Williams was able to look past the mentors he had before and move into shaping his own style. Until entering college,  Williams focused his poetry on mimicking the writing of great poets such as Walt Whitman and John Keats. However, upon meeting Pound, a profound change occurred in both Williams’ writing style, and his appeal to poetry. Together the two would discuss, in length, the ins and outs of writing, and frequently meet with artists of other mediums. Eventually, all of the talking would lead into the development of the Imagist movement.

            Along with his friends Ezra Pound, Hilda Doolittle, and Charles Demuth, William Carlos Williams spearheaded the imagist movement. Similar movements had already taken place in music and art, but poetry remained conformed to the rudimentary meter that had held strong for decades. As critic Kennith Lincoln stated “From the 1913 Armory Show on, Williams, Pound, Hartley, Demuth, Moore, and all the Others were ‘streaming through’ a break in the old conventions: ‘—the poetic line, the way the image was to be on the page was our immediate concern,” (Lincoln). By breaking free of the old rules that bound them so tightly, Williams, Pound, and others were able to develop a new style of poetry to appropriately bring the medium into the 20^th century. The group of young artists grew close, meeting regularly to discuss poetry and other mediums.

            Despite being close friends, and major influences of the imagist movement, William Carlos Williams and Ezra Pound did not always see eye to eye. In the year 1945, Williams wrote a letter marked with sadness regarding Pounds anti-Semitism. (Mathews).  Later, Pound remarked how he found Williams’ poetry to be much too unsophisticated. These rifts in their friendship were reflected by the poets’ differing styles of writing, but the two remained close friends throughout their careers.

            While it is very important for all talented writers to have a mentor, Williams found his in peers and close friends. From the point he met friends like Ezra Pound, onward, Williams was able to alter his style, and bring poetry into the 20^th century effectively by spearheading the Imagist movement. If not for the artist circle formed by Williams and others,  poetry would have remained conformed to the strict guidelines of meter set by the age old poets of the past.

William Carlos Williams and Ezra Pound

Argument: "The Red Wheelbarrow"

           On the surface of his poems, William Carlos Williams appears to be a simple commentator on the events that surround him. He never includes unnecessary descriptions in his work, and would always rather keep his poems as short and simple as possible. This often times gives the impression that there is no depth to his work, but this is not the case. As is evident with the poem “The Red Wheelbarrow”, William Carlos Williams meticulously chooses the proper language to give his concise poems deeper meaning.

The initial stanza of “The Red Wheelbarrow” is extremely crucial to the poem as a whole. Because there is no punctuation present in the poem, it is the stanza breaks that serve as the indicators of any division in the wording. Due to this, the first stanza serves as an indication of the format of all subsequent stanzas. The formatting scheme of this poem is rather simple, with three words in the first line of each stanza, followed by a single word in the second line. This is done completely intentionally by Williams to express the simplicity of the scene he is describing. The critic John Hollander comments on this as he states “[I]n twentieth-century verse, an enjambment can occur without interest in shock or abruptness as a mimetic effect by itself. . . . A paradigmatic case is from William Carlos Williams in a well-known poem which uses the device almost as if in a manifesto,” (Hollander).  Hollander explains here that Williams uses enjambment in this poem in a very modern fashion, often catching the reader off guard with the abrupt ending of the stanza. Along with this, the first stanza includes the words “So much depends upon”, as it stands to represent how so much depends upon each and every word of the poem.

Each subsequent stanza, after the first, serves to create an image in the mind of the reader. Although there is very little detail offered by Williams, a very detailed image is described. The adjective “red” stands out as it very simply explains the color directly, and serves to illuminate the setting. Along with that, each word in the second stanza contains a single syllable, including the end word “wheel”. These again add to the simplicity of the poem, keeping the language within the reach of readers of all ages. After this, the poem goes into further detail explaining, simply again, the rainwater that is still present on the wheelbarrow. Again in this stanza, each of the words in the first line are kept to a single syllable. This stanza serves to transform the image of the wheelbarrow that is initially described as more details about the scene are provided.

Finally, the fourth and final stanza of the poem offers some small details to complete the scene. By discussing the nearby chickens, Williams offers a familiar image to add to the picture already created in the mind of the reader. The color of the “white” chickens contrasts sharply with the red wheelbarrow described earlier. Again, in this case, Williams does not explicitly offer up a large amount of detail, but rather, just enough to allow the reader to see the same image. He offers the reference word “beside” so that the reader can give the wheelbarrow a tangible location in the setting that Williams has created. This final stanza includes a simple period at the end, so that the poem as a whole takes on the image of a passing thought one might have.

Although, at first this poem can seem to be nothing but a scene that Williams wishes to convey to the reader, the true meaning can be found deeper within the wording of the poem. Several key words were chosen by the author to convey the true message of this beautiful poem to anyone who reads it. The words wheelbarrow and rainwater are broken up in the poem for a very clear reason. This poem is not about the wheelbarrow itself, but rather, about breaking down everyday events into their pure and natural form. The image that Williams describes would normally be something that a common person would completely ignore. However, in this poem, Williams beautifully describes the scene, encouraging readers to do the same with any common scene in their own daily lives.

Initially this rather simple looking poem can appear to be meaningless and dull. But upon further inspection, a very deep and profound underlying meaning can be found. The word choice of William Carlos Williams exemplifies his talent and ability to create wondrous works of art from otherwise simple scenes. Williams’ role as a leading artist in the imagist movement is exemplified in his poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” as he elaborately conveys a prominent meaning utilizing nothing but simple and concise language.  

Annotation "The Red Wheelbarrow"

so much depends[1]
upon

a red wheel
barrow[2]

glazed[3] with rain
water[4]

beside the white[5]
chickens.

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[1] So much depends: In this case, these words set the standard for the remainder of the poem as they express how “so much depends” on each and every word.

[2] Wheel/barrow: The line break here, breaks down this word into its base components, showing the breakdown of everyday scenes that Williams describes.

[3] Glazed: This single descriptive word alters the vision of the wheelbarrow that has already been presented by Williams in a slight way.

[4] Rain/Water: Once again, this word is broken up, showing the breakdown of common events into their most basic elements..

[5] White: This contrasts with the “red” described earlier, giving the reader a point of interest to focus on and add to the image already created in their mind.

About the Writer

 My name is Mike Evans, and I was born and raised in the town of Missoula, Montana. I graduated from Loyola Sacred Heart high school with a class of 45 students. I am a sophomore Natural Science major, looking into physical therapy. I have one older brother who is in the process of completing his final year at Claremont McKenna College. Throughout my life, I have found two things that I am majorly passionate about. The first, is running. I have run competitively in cross country and track and field for as long as I can remember. Currently, I run for LMU's cross country team where I have the time of my life despite early mornings and long practices. Secondly, I have found I have a deep love for music. Over the course of my life, I have learned to play six musical instruments  and am currently looking into expanding my ability. Along with these activities, I enjoy snowboarding, watching movies, and cooking.