Poem response--AmyY

The Red Wheelbarrow

BY WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

Poem response

What attracts me most about this poem is that it has few paragraphs and few words, which give readers more space to imagine. There are only four stanzas and four words for each stanza, which is really interesting and inventive. It describes a really clear and clean scene for readers. The scene described in this poem gives readers a sense of surprise. The color contrast in the poem is also very attractive, leaving an impression on the reader's mind. The poem is generally neat, with each stanza consisting of three words and one word divided equally. The last word in each stanza stands on a new line, reflecting the author's emphasis. I like this poem, it is concise but thought-provoking, ordinary but lively and interesting.

The form of this poem is novelty, with few words and no capital letters. Because the poet does not need to emphasize anything when he wrote about daily life, he uses all lowercase letters, which also reflects the beautiful scenery of the ordinary life. I noticed that the poem has no subject, perhaps because the author wants the reader to add a subject to the sentence. The poet consciously creates an imaginary space for readers. The simple words left a deep impression on my mind: red wheelbarrow and white chicken in the rain.

In this poem, Williams is declaring that human civilization, no matter how brilliant or has gone into decline, is inseparable from simple labor tools. These simple farm elements are the initial signs of civilization's vitality. These elements reflect our relationship with nature, and Williams created the way we interact with nature. On the other hand, the poem is perfectly interpreted by Williams. He captured some simple but easily ignored elements of our life and society and put them on a piece of white paper without rendering. As much as possible, these elements stand out from the complexity of nature and become objects that we need to re-recognize their inner beauty.

I think this poem wants to show the relationship between reality and imagination. The author wants the reader to use his own unique imagination to understand the meaning of the poem. Maybe my understanding is the red wheelbarrow and the white chicken. Maybe others have other understandings of red and white. Every time I read this poem, I have a different feeling. The first time I read it, it's a simple picture in  my mind. Later, every time I read it, I would imagine a story that might relate to this wheelbarrow and this chicken. Then come back to reality and  I consider about the poem in other perspectives. These processes help me to complete this analysis.