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William Carlos Williams, part 1
Williams (1883-1963) had a poem entitled “The World Narrowed to a Point,” which perfectly describes the effect of his 1906-49 work as found in The Collected Earlier Poems and The Collected Later Poems (both published by New Directions). Of course, the latter compilation would be better titled The Collected Middle Poems or some such, since much was yet to come (and some already written was saved for a later book).
Where a poem’s source is identified, this is because WCW wrote multiple pieces with that title.
“The Red Wheelbarrow”
No less powerful for its ubiquity having made it a cliché.
“Choral: The Pink Church”
A celebration and elevation of humanity.
“The Locust Tree in Flower”
Two poems of the same title; the longer (already a mere 35 words) was stripped down further to a highly evocative 13 words, a third the length yet tripled in power.
“Sparrow Among Dry Leaves”/“Sparrows Among Dry Leaves”
In The Drunkard there are eighteen short lines; in The Wedge the exact same words are redistributed, with changed punctuation, among eight longer lines. Either way (and I feel more affinity for the earlier arrangement, in the earlier style that influenced my own writing more), another lean depiction of nature in the city.
“Between Walls”
Green broken glass stands in for nature in a starkly powerful image.
“Pastoral” [from Al Que Quiere (To Him Who Wants it)]
A study in contrast.
“The Yachts”
A subtle tirade against capitalism.
“The Last Words of My English Grandmother”
Heartwrenching.
“Love Song” [from Al Que Quiere (To Him Who Wants it)]
“the stain of love / is upon the world!” (Eat your heart out, Robert Smith.)
“To a Solitary Disciple”
Or, how to be a poet.
