William Carlos Williams’s poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” is a simple, image-based poem in which an unknown speaker describes a red wheelbarrow and chickens. The simplicity of the poem, which is demonstrated by its length and subject, combine with the statement made in the first line of the poem to realistically depict a slice of reality.
The structure of the poem helps to establish how a reader should view the poem. It is comprised of four stanzas with two lines each. The poem is made up of only one sentence which is not capitalized at its beginning. This sentence is broken up into lines and stanzas which slow the pace of the sentence, forcing the reader to dwell on each part of the images described. The use of a single sentence to express a thought, with its lack of initial capitalization, is part of what suggests that the contents are a slice of life, cutting into the middle of a moment so the reader can view a very specific image or part of life. Additionally, because there is no way to determine who the speaker is, the focus can be entirely on the images.
The form of the poem is free verse. It is understood by readers that like many other parts of life, from the construction of a building to the structure of a poem, the form of these dictates what the function is. Williams does not use a traditional form such as the sonnet because a sonnet typically describes more than one image or part of life, using a specific syllabic and rhyme structure. Sonnets also employ devices such as metaphor to convey layers of meaning, which is not necessary in “The Red Wheelbarrow” because the poem focuses on a very small portion of reality. Williams constructs the free verse poem in a way that is customized to bring his subject into sharp relief. Without the conventions of traditional form, Williams is able to strip away all unnecessary distractions so the reader can focus on the specific image he wishes to convey.
The images of the poem are of the red wheelbarrow and white chickens. The only things described within the poem are the objects and the state of those objects. The reader is aware that there is a wheelbarrow, it is red, and wet from the rain. The chickens are white, and they are next to the wheelbarrow. The simplicity of these images is designed to allow readers to see them as a part of reality, unencumbered by metaphors and other literary devices.
The diction of the poem is as simple as the form. Without the requirements of a formal poem such as a sonnet, Williams is free to select uncomplicated words that keep the focus on the imagery. There is no slang or other word choices that could have multiple meanings.
The poem’s lack of sound devices is another indicator of the simple intent to describe a slice of reality. To use rhyme, alliteration, or any other poetic device beyond the customized form and structure of the poem would be to introduce an emphasis on a particular part of the poem. Such an emphasis would bring unintended focus to a specific parts of the poem where none was intended.
The tone of the poem is set by the first line (“so much depends”), which is the only deviation from the simplicity of the rest of the poem’s images (1). This is the most difficult part of the poem to understand because it causes readers to question what or why anything “depends/ upon/ a red wheel/ barrow” (1-4). Considering the simplicity of the rest of the poem, this initial statement’s purpose is to narrow the focus of the poem’s subject to its images. This statement also leaves the identity of the speaker, if there is one at all, undesignated. Williams does not begin his poem with a statement like “I was gazing,” “We were focused,” or “Mary was looking,” any of which would imply there is a specific speaker or point of view. Instead, the opening line means the speaker could be anybody or nobody. While at first this may seem confusing and vague, Williams’s purpose is to get away from complications like speaker, metaphor, and so forth to focus on the images and slice of reality he is presenting.
Structure, form, images, diction, and tone in Williams’s poem combine to offer a clear, uncomplicated image of a piece of reality. The simplicity of the style requires readers to regard the image of the wheelbarrow as a subject that can be appreciated simply for being what it is, without attachment to other elements of life.
Works Cited
Williams, William Carlos. The Red Wheelbarrow.
