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.
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.
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