The beauty of poetry

While reviewing imagery with my students today, I couldn't help but realize how much I appreciate the poems of William Carlos Williams. There's something about the images in his poetry. In some, the juxtaposition paints a vivid picture; the images aren't complete, but there's enough information there for me to understand and visualize the story. In others, his commentary on a particular emotion or scene is simple and focused, allowing me to act as an observer to the scene rather than an audience to the poet. That being said, here are a few of his poems that I particularly enjoy. I hope you enjoy them, too.

"The Red Wheelbarrow"

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.


"The Young Housewife"

At ten A.M. the young housewife
moves about in negligee behind
the wooden walls of her husband's house.
I pass solitary in my car.

Then again she comes to the curb
to call the ice-man, fish-man, and stands
shy, uncorseted, tucking in
stray ends of hair, and I compare her
to a fallen leaf.

The noiseless wheels of my car
rush with a crackling sound over
dried leaves as I bow and pass smiling.


"This Is Just to Say"

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

"This Is Just to Say" is even better when read aloud. I'm not sure why that is; perhaps it's the last stanza in which the speaker feigns an apology as the plum juice drips down his chin. Reading it aloud, I can almost hear the speaker issue his confession through bites of juicy plum. Delicious.