A Man of Vision

A man of vision, a man of purpose, William Carlos Williams not only set out to be both a physician and a writer, but he sought to establish a distinct form of American poetry. Williams strove to create poetry that was fresh and unconnected from European tradition. It is said that he liberated poetry from Yeats and Elliot. Williams wrote a manifesto stating poetry should be rid of ideas in favor of image. In the prologue to Kora in Hell Williams said that a poem should stress "those things that lie under the direct scrutiny of the senses, close to the nose." His poetry has a sense of immediacy and reflects the language of America, at the level of the average reader. He purposefully created his work so it will be accessible to the people. Williams wrote from his experience as a physician of over forty years where he had personal access on a daily basis to the suffering of men, to the struggles of life and the events surrounding birth. He wrote about the place where he lived and worked; Rutherford New Jersey and nearby Paterson. Ironically, he was never known as a poet by the people whom he wrote about. Although he was well known in literary circles, Williams acclaim as a poet did not come until the end of his life when he became an inspiration for poets like Alan Ginsberg of the beat generation. In the lean years after the immense success of Elliot's Waste Land when his career came to a standstill, when he was not yet published, but self published, Williams remained true to his purpose and thus was finally recognized for his short distinct verse. William was not only a poet but also an essayist, short story writer, and playwright. He was well liked by those who knew him, hard working and inventive. His straight forward character is seen within his work.

During his formative years William was influenced by the poet Ezra Pound. Both attended the University of Pennsylvania. According to an article in the Poetry Foundation on William Carlos Williams, art had liberated itself from tradition along with music and writing, poetry was shackled by the restraint of the form. Williams joined the Imagist Movement in sympathy with their cause to modernize poetry.

When reading the poem, "The Young House Wife", written in 1916, one can observe that Williams is beginning to abbreviate the lines in his poems, but not yet to the extent that he would as his career moves forward. The doctor, Williams, speaks in the form of self confession using image to suggest inner thoughts and desires. The poem because of its use of image must be read and reread in order to mine the interior motive that the speaker possesses as he passes the presence of the young house wife and observes her like a man observe a woman, but also as a doctor observes a patient. Almost as if by second nature, the poet is unconscious of his own longings until reality, the crunch of leaves beneath his tires pulls him back and he bows and smiles.

Williams uses realism in choosing a scene from everyday life. The use of the term ten o'clock makes the picture exact, not abstract in its accuracy and suggests clockwork without saying it. Like clockwork the young house wife... Williams places her first behind the door of her husband's house and then at the cub about her daily business, like clockwork.

What is first observed when reading "The Young House Wife" is the use of contrasting images; noiseless/crackling, negligee /wooden wall, housewife /husband, shy/uncorseted, fallen leaf/dried up leaves. Effective poetry that is brief will speak without speaking. Williams suggests comparisons, implied or imagined; his age/the age of the woman, scantily robed/ behind her wood walls; he passes by on business/she is disheveled like she is just out of bed. There is also use of strong images that draw a person into the poem; runs over them, fallen, uncorseted, suggest sexual fantasy.

A recurring theme in Williams poetry is man's need for love to be renewed verse a woman's need for consistency in love. The poet in observing the woman is aroused on some level by seeing her unguarded beauty in the simplicity of her life. He is enjoying her like her husband does, but in her husband's absence. Williams compares her to a fallen leaf, thus suggests falleness. The sound of a dried leaves suggested being used and discarded. He by observing the young house wife, uses her for his own pleasure.

Because the poem is brief it asks questions instead of answers them. Does the doctor pass by innocently? One begins to wonders if the doctor plans his trips around the visits of the iceman and fishman. Is she innocent in her attire, unaware she is arousing a man besides her husband?

The first stanza has no rhythm or rhythm but almost a dry observation, not unlike the manner in which a physician might observe. The second stanza, second line has rhythm within the line; Ice man, fish man and stands. And then again in the third and fourth line; tucking in/stray ends of hair, and. The third stanza goes back to the dry observation as if the doctor realizes where his thoughts are going and is jolted back into reality. He acknowledges the pleasure the sight of the woman brings him, then moves on.

When one observes the space in which the poem takes place we see Williams uses images of boundaries both physical and cultural; the wooden house, the husband, the curb signifying property lines suggesting that the enjoyment of the woman should be that of her husband's alone. The doctor passes in a car another barrier that allows him to enjoy the woman protected from criticism, which creates the tone of voyeurism in the poem. Thus the themes created by the use of image make "The Young House Wife" a portrait or snapshot of human nature.