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Literary Elements in 3 Poems by William Carlos Williams

Williams was a medical doctor and part time poet from New Jersey. He claims to have been heavily influenced by Whitman, Poe, and his good friend Ezra Pound. In his own words, Williams believed poetry should be, "plain, aesthetic, modern, and stripped of hackneyed symbolism and formal veneer” (Williams 284). His poems are a clear example of American Modernism. Perhaps it was because of his medical profession that he was able to get down to the ‘bare bones’ of the English language. My favorite poems in particular are Young Housewife, Danse Russe, and To Elise.

The Young Housewife is a short poem with three sections. The first section is like a romantic dream. The driver slightly see’s the women from behind the wall. She is dressed in a risqué neglige. It seems like she is unreachable. The driver clearly desires her. “The Wooden Walls” may also be symbolic of her oppression. In the next section, Williams gets a good look at the woman. She is no longer a far off romantic desire, she is a real person. She has faults, including “ uncorseted and stray hair” (Williams). She is also a “fallen leaf” (Williams). This invokes a sense of weakness and submission. The tone has changed from an attitude of desire and excitement to dissatisfaction. It’s like a glimpse of what happens when imaginary things become real. The driver thanks the woman as if to say, thank you for the short lived fantasy. This is a great example of modernist poetry because the language is very simple and easy to read. Also, the poem focuses on an every day event.

Another poem I appreciate is Danse Russe. I feel like it is a poem about writing. This poem has an excited and brave tone. Williams is saying that while ballet is beautiful and exotic, dancing wildly in your house can still be quite enjoyable. It’s a metaphor for writing, poems don’t need to be complex and wordy to be good and enjoyable. That’s what Americaan modernism is all about. The imagery is great in this poem. Williams uses very descriptive words like “grotesquely.” He also uses some alliteration, “Sun white disk/in silken mists” (Williams). He is dancing alone as well. It kind of relates to the human condition, in the end, you have no one else but yourself.

Another poem I particularly enjoyed is To Elsie. It presents itself like a story. Elise was his childhood nanny and she is likely native American. It’s a story about orphans. “Reared by the state/Taken out at fifteen to work” (Williams). It seems like he cared for her and feels sorry for her. In this poem the deer is personified, it represents Elsie’s innocence. Thee imagery is nice here also when William’s writes, “Stiffling heat of summer” (Williams).

William’s was a great Poet and American Modernist. He wrote in plain language and about mundane but important tasks, he used great imagery and metaphors to get his messages across.