This is one of the most famous poems in English. It’s so short! It almost seems too easy. In Bellingham there is an apartment building near WWU with this poem on it along with a huge mural. I used to look at it nearly every day walking back to my rented room after class. I attached a photo of it I found online.
William Carlos Williams was a doctor, and he used to write poetry after making his at-home visits every day in his small town. I’ve been thinking again about him as I see signs going up in my neighborhood that say, “Thank you, Health Workers!”
He was part of a group of poets that were called Imagists -- they would write poems like a series of slide shows and let the order of the images create a certain feeling or idea. Can you see the three different “images” of the poem?
Read the poem, think about the questions, and see if you can write a few poems that name things that feel important right now.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
> First, imagine Williams seeing this scene as he walked up to a house to visit a patient. What do you imagine him thinking about as he noticed these things?
> Why might it be important or symbolic that the wheelbarrow is red? What ideas or feelings do you connect to that color? How might those ideas be helpful in understanding a little about the poem?
> The word “glazed” is often used to describe things that are given a shiny, clear coating, like a vase or a mug (or even a donut!). It’s not really a word normally used to describe rain. Why do you think Williams chose this word? What tone might he be trying to create about the rain water?
> The only other color in the poem is the white of the chickens. Can you picture them in this scene? What do you normally think about chickens? Are these the birds you normally think about when you think of the color white? Why is this an interesting choice?
> Now, go back to the first line. Why does so much depend on this wheelbarrow? Why might it be so important that it is sitting out in the rain, covered in rain, and only the chickens are next to it? What might this say about the people who live there and their situation? What might this say about the speaker and how he/she/they feels about it?
> Instead of a wheelbarrow, what “normal” things can you notice in our world that are really important to the way we live, but also easy to take for granted? What might seem beautiful right now because you are taking the time to notice it?
TRY SOMETHING Write your own version (or many versions) of this poem by doing this:
Use the first lines from Williams
List three visual details about the scene
Use the connecting words from Williams if it helps.
Template
So much depends Upon
A __________________
_________ with ____________
Beside ________________
Here’s one that I tried!
The Noisy Mail Truck
So much depends Upon
The noisy mail truck
Filled with online packages
Beside the empty sidewalk
Send me your best version! I’d love to read what you come up with.