1.)Introduction who he was why he is important /note worthy
Today we will be exploring the life and poetry of William Carlos Williams as we read two of his poems today! Personally for me , knowing the historical background of an individual helps me understand them and in this case Williams’ and his poetry. Williams was actually a poet and doctor who lived and died in Rutherford NJ from 1883- 1963. I chose to discuss William’s today actually because of a personal connection I have to him. He delivered my grandfather and his siblings from 1929-1939 something my grandfather liked to boast about especially to me . He boasted alot to me about this especially because him and I shared a love for history . Well, I am now a history major! It is estimated Williams 3,000 newborns between 1912 and 1955.Honestly how many people can say a famous poet delivered them? This podcast is in honor of a loving memory of my grandfather “ Bob” Foray.
Williams was born to a Puertorican mother and English father. They both loved reading and passed the love on to their son ( a cool fact his mom was actually named Emily Dickenson like the 19th century poet). Williams had several titles as well such as medical doctor, poet, novelist, essayist, and playwright. Despite all the cool things he did . Hewas still a doctor in a small town in Rutherford and the surrounding areas for over 40 years . He was one of the leading poets of the imagist movement. Though what actually is the imagist movement? Well,Essentially it was a movement popular in early-20th-century with Anglo-American poetry that favored precision of imagery and clear, sharp language. He often wrote of American subjects and themes fitting this criteria. . The two poems I have chosen to discuss today are examples of imagist poetry!. Williams began writing poetry in the early 20s until his death in the early 1960s. Though he would actually be largely overshadowed by other poets of the time but would slowly gain traction in the poetry world. Throughout his life Williams would be published in magazines as well as win several awards for his work such as United States Poet Laureate in 1952 and his most well known award, the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1963 to name a few.
Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-carlos-williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagism
https://poets.org/poet/william-carlos-williams
2.) People Who Influenced Williams and His Form
Before we dive into Williams poetry,it is important to know who influenced Williams and his form .His stardom was thanks to his lifelong friend Ezra pound, a controversial poet of the early to mid 20th century. he was a major figure in the early modernist movement as well as the amount of this movement which will dive into momentarily. Pound helped launch Williams as a poet in 1912, when he arranged for publication of six poems and the English poetry review and wrote encouraging infection introduction introduction to his friend’s verse “. Williams acknowledged the influence of Pound’s teachings (which he never fully understood) in I Wanted to Write a Poem (1958). Here Williams wrote, “Before meeting Ezra Pound is like B.C. and A.D.” The Tempers (1913), Williams’s first commercially published volume, was accepted by the publisher primarily through Pound’s influence. Kora in Hell (1920) was partly inspired by a book Pound had left in Williams’s house. “
- William’s mother would shape the verses he would create. While Pound focused on themes of “realism and science” , his mother would stand for “freedom and romance.”
- “ The feelings Williams held for her are evident in his statements in I Wanted to Write a Poem about her “ordeal” as a woman and a foreigner, about her interest in art, which became, as he says, his own, and about his feeling that she was a “mythical” figure, a heroic “poetic ideal.”
- https://biography.yourdictionary.com/william-carlos-williams
Willaims was first first influenced by the Modernist Movement that Ezra Pound helped propel
- The modernist movement was in the late 19th and early 20th century. The movement expressed the creation of new forms in art, philosophy, and social organization which reflected the newly emerging industrial world, urbanization and war, also.including features such as urbanization, new technologies, and war. Artists attempted to depart from traditional forms of art, which they considered outdated or obsolete.
- This would then lead to creation of the imagist movement which focused on clear simple words that created vivid imagery.
3.) Williams Poetry
The first poem we will be looking at by Williams is the Red Wheelbarrow. It was first published in 1923, when it is one of, argumentatively, one of William’s best-known poems. I’m going to read the poem are you guys momentarily a little dive in and analyze on what the poem actually means as well as its form.
so much depends
2
upon
3
a red wheel
4
barrow
5
glazed with rain
6
water
7
beside the white
8
Chickens
- This is an example of imagist poetry. When you hear the poem what comes to mind? For me I think of the form of imagery. In case some of you don’t know, in short, imagery is visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work. Which is seen in the Red Wheelbarrow. How you may ask?
Well , one line says: red wheelbarrow full of rain water beside white chickens. “ This uses gentle language to paint the image such as “glazed with water ” not dripping with water or other language creates an image of the wheelbarrow full of water from a rainstorm. The calm after the storm. ( The language used to describe the chickens doesn’t use loud , boisterous noise. It is simply” Beside the white chickens.
- While researching I found a quote that explains the imagist poetry quite well. While “The Red Wheelbarrow” is ultimately representative of the Imagist ideals in its focus on a specific image rather than narrative or lyricism, it can also be seen as a celebration or even simple acknowledgment of sentimentality. Perhaps there are more objects like the red wheelbarrow, it might suggest, that are also worthy of such tender regard.”
- Based off of reading quotes and analysis I did myself, to me , the poem suggest simplicity in everyday things due to simplicity of the poem, the simple objects/ animals used and calming sensation from reading the poem. The poem also uses themes in imagist poetry imagery. (Which the poem’s main form is ). Imagist poetry uses clear, sharp and simple language. as seen in the quote and language we discussed about the poem.
- I mentioned Imagist poetry earlier but what is it?
- Imagist Poetry was one of the many new poetry forms that popped up from the modernist movement, in the early to mid 20th century! Besides
- precision of imagery and clear, sharp language and simple words simple words ,
- Imagist Poetry also uses free verse form ( poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.) Seen in this and next poem.
It also uses counted verse which is
“Written in ; a formal repertory despite being 8 lines long . The first line of each stanza contains three words and the second line one. “ ( Finch, 33)
Ex: so much depends (line 1), upon (line 2)
- The poem uses the form of syntax such as “,modifying phrases like “glazed with rain” fall from the first line of each stanza onto the hard surface of the noun in the second line.” “( Finch 33)
Now let’s jump into the second poem chosen for today!
Second Poem Between Walls
It was Published in 1938, and follows imagist poetry like the Red wheel Barrow
Goes as follows:
the back wings
of the
hospital where
nothing
will grow lie
cinders
In which shine
the broken
pieces of a green
bottle
- The language in the poem uses expression of imagery and clear, sharp language . Again following the form followed by imagst.The imagery creates the picture of an area behind a hospital with broken bottles and trash thrown about with dead grass and cinder blocks. Unlike the Red Wheel Barrow this location we can most likely pinpoint. Which was most likely Passaic General Hospital,The hospital, which is now known as St. Mary’s General Hospital
- Upon further in depth analysis , Williams creates an image of a “ disregarded space, loaded with nothingness.” (https://thedewdrop.org/2019/05/24/between-walls-william-carlos-williams/). “Where nothing will grow lie cinders”, creating the image of empty space where nothing grows, an emptiness.Furthermore the line “ the broken pieces of a green bottle .” Showing the imagery that the bottle is broken, a brokenness about the area. Plus hospitals are a place where people do go to die , tying in with the bleak imagery given Despite this Williams choses to say pieces of a green bottle. Green is often associated with the color of rebirth and new life as well of growth. Despite the bleak nothingness he paints in his poem , there is room for growth but jaded because the bottle Even though people go to die in a hospital there is also birth.
- ?? tie together
3.) Closing
- Thank you for listening to this podcast on the analysis of imagist poetic work of William Carlos Williams.
- Despite being overshadowed by other poets he would create many great works in his life. Besides being a poetic he was also a well respected pediatric doctor for 40 years in his community
- Hope you enjoyed the podcast here on 88.3 the Saint!. A special thanks to Lars Boller for helping me record this podcast.
The solo/monologue podcast format ( Note stick to one topic , Williams background , inspiration , form of poetry)
1.)Introduction who he was why he is important /note worthy
Today we will be exploring the life and poetry of William Carlos Williams as we read two of his poems today! Personally for me , knowing the historical background of an individual helps me understand them and in this case Williams’ and his poetry. Williams was actually a poet and doctor who lived and died in Rutherford NJ from 1883- 1963. I chose to discuss William’s today actually because of a personal connection I have to him. He delivered my grandfather and his siblings from 1929-1939 something my grandfather liked to boast about especially to me . He boasted alot to me about this especially because him and I shared a love for history . Well, I am now a history major! It is estimated Williams 3,000 newborns between 1912 and 1955.Honestly how many people can say a famous poet delivered them? This podcast is in honor of a loving memory of my grandfather “ Bob” Foray.
Williams was born to a Puertorican mother and English father. They both loved reading and passed the love on to their son ( a cool fact his mom was actually named Emily Dickenson like the 19th century poet). Williams had several titles as well such as medical doctor, poet, novelist, essayist, and playwright. Despite all the cool things he did . Hewas still a doctor in a small town in Rutherford and the surrounding areas for over 40 years . He was one of the leading poets of the imagist movement. Though what actually is the imagist movement? Well,Essentially it was a movement popular in early-20th-century with Anglo-American poetry that favored precision of imagery and clear, sharp language. He often wrote of American subjects and themes fitting this criteria. . The two poems I have chosen to discuss today are examples of imagist poetry!. Williams began writing poetry in the early 20s until his death in the early 1960s. Though he would actually be largely overshadowed by other poets of the time but would slowly gain traction in the poetry world. Throughout his life Williams would be published in magazines as well as win several awards for his work such as United States Poet Laureate in 1952 and his most well known award, the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1963 to name a few.
Sources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-carlos-williams
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagism
https://poets.org/poet/william-carlos-williams
2.) People Who Influenced Williams and His Form
Before we dive into Williams poetry,it is important to know who influenced Williams and his form .His stardom was thanks to his lifelong friend Ezra pound, a controversial poet of the early to mid 20th century. he was a major figure in the early modernist movement as well as the amount of this movement which will dive into momentarily. Pound helped launch Williams as a poet in 1912, when he arranged for publication of six poems and the English poetry review and wrote encouraging infection introduction introduction to his friend’s verse “. Williams acknowledged the influence of Pound’s teachings (which he never fully understood) in I Wanted to Write a Poem (1958). Here Williams wrote, “Before meeting Ezra Pound is like B.C. and A.D.” The Tempers (1913), Williams’s first commercially published volume, was accepted by the publisher primarily through Pound’s influence. Kora in Hell (1920) was partly inspired by a book Pound had left in Williams’s house. “
- William’s mother would shape the verses he would create. While Pound focused on themes of “realism and science” , his mother would stand for “freedom and romance.”
- “ The feelings Williams held for her are evident in his statements in I Wanted to Write a Poem about her “ordeal” as a woman and a foreigner, about her interest in art, which became, as he says, his own, and about his feeling that she was a “mythical” figure, a heroic “poetic ideal.”
- https://biography.yourdictionary.com/william-carlos-williams
Willaims was first first influenced by the Modernist Movement that Ezra Pound helped propel
- The modernist movement was in the late 19th and early 20th century. The movement expressed the creation of new forms in art, philosophy, and social organization which reflected the newly emerging industrial world, urbanization and war, also.including features such as urbanization, new technologies, and war. Artists attempted to depart from traditional forms of art, which they considered outdated or obsolete.
- This would then lead to creation of the imagist movement which focused on clear simple words that created vivid imagery.
3.) Williams Poetry
The first poem we will be looking at by Williams is the Red Wheelbarrow. It was first published in 1923, when it is one of, argumentatively, one of William’s best-known poems. I’m going to read the poem are you guys momentarily a little dive in and analyze on what the poem actually means as well as its form.
so much depends
2
upon
3
a red wheel
4
barrow
5
glazed with rain
6
water
7
beside the white
8
Chickens
- This is an example of imagist poetry. When you hear the poem what comes to mind? For me I think of the form of imagery. In case some of you don’t know, in short, imagery is visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work. Which is seen in the Red Wheelbarrow. How you may ask?
Well , one line says: red wheelbarrow full of rain water beside white chickens. “ This uses gentle language to paint the image such as “glazed with water ” not dripping with water or other language creates an image of the wheelbarrow full of water from a rainstorm. The calm after the storm. ( The language used to describe the chickens doesn’t use loud , boisterous noise. It is simply” Beside the white chickens.
- While researching I found a quote that explains the imagist poetry quite well. While “The Red Wheelbarrow” is ultimately representative of the Imagist ideals in its focus on a specific image rather than narrative or lyricism, it can also be seen as a celebration or even simple acknowledgment of sentimentality. Perhaps there are more objects like the red wheelbarrow, it might suggest, that are also worthy of such tender regard.”
- Based off of reading quotes and analysis I did myself, to me , the poem suggest simplicity in everyday things due to simplicity of the poem, the simple objects/ animals used and calming sensation from reading the poem. The poem also uses themes in imagist poetry imagery. (Which the poem’s main form is ). Imagist poetry uses clear, sharp and simple language. as seen in the quote and language we discussed about the poem.
- I mentioned Imagist poetry earlier but what is it?
- Imagist Poetry was one of the many new poetry forms that popped up from the modernist movement, in the early to mid 20th century! Besides
- precision of imagery and clear, sharp language and simple words simple words ,
- Imagist Poetry also uses free verse form ( poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.) Seen in this and next poem.
It also uses counted verse which is
“Written in ; a formal repertory despite being 8 lines long . The first line of each stanza contains three words and the second line one. “ ( Finch, 33)
Ex: so much depends (line 1), upon (line 2)
- The poem uses the form of syntax such as “,modifying phrases like “glazed with rain” fall from the first line of each stanza onto the hard surface of the noun in the second line.” “( Finch 33)
Now let’s jump into the second poem chosen for today!
Second Poem Between Walls
It was Published in 1938, and follows imagist poetry like the Red wheel Barrow
Goes as follows:
the back wings
of the
hospital where
nothing
will grow lie
cinders
In which shine
the broken
pieces of a green
bottle
- The language in the poem uses expression of imagery and clear, sharp language . Again following the form followed by imagst.The imagery creates the picture of an area behind a hospital with broken bottles and trash thrown about with dead grass and cinder blocks. Unlike the Red Wheel Barrow this location we can most likely pinpoint. Which was most likely Passaic General Hospital,The hospital, which is now known as St. Mary’s General Hospital
- Upon further in depth analysis , Williams creates an image of a “ disregarded space, loaded with nothingness.” (https://thedewdrop.org/2019/05/24/between-walls-william-carlos-williams/). “Where nothing will grow lie cinders”, creating the image of empty space where nothing grows, an emptiness.Furthermore the line “ the broken pieces of a green bottle .” Showing the imagery that the bottle is broken, a brokenness about the area. Plus hospitals are a place where people do go to die , tying in with the bleak imagery given Despite this Williams choses to say pieces of a green bottle. Green is often associated with the color of rebirth and new life as well of growth. Despite the bleak nothingness he paints in his poem , there is room for growth but jaded because the bottle Even though people go to die in a hospital there is also birth.
- ?? tie together
3.) Closing
- Thank you for listening to this podcast on the analysis of imagist poetic work of William Carlos Williams.
- Despite being overshadowed by other poets he would create many great works in his life. Besides being a poetic he was also a well respected pediatric doctor for 40 years in his community
- Hope you enjoyed the podcast here on 88.3 the Saint!. A special thanks to Lars Boller for helping me record this podcast.
Exploring Poetry 