The Red Wheelbarrow Analysis

The Red Wheelbarrow is a poem written by William Carlos Williams. This poem is beyond amazing creating so much imagery and meaning with only being a sentence long. The poem is broken up into four couplets.The way this poem is written makes it seem like the poet wanted us to pause with each line to comprehend what is written. In this poem William states that “so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow” but does not go on to explain what exactly depends on it. I believe that by not explaining it, he is leaving it to us to really think about what it depends on. The fact that chickens are surrounding the wheelbarrow gives me the idea that he is stating that farm animals depend on the wheelbarrow in supplying food, shelter, and in this case, water. Farmers also benefit from the
When taught the story behind the poem, it gives the poem a different meaning. Williamson was not only a poet but also a physician. It is said that he got his inspiration while visiting a patient who lived on a farm. When handling the severely ill patient, he happened to glance out the window and see a red wheelbarrow glazed with water and surrounding chickens. I think he might have been making an analogy between the chickens depending on the wheelbarrow and the patient depending on him (the doctor). I could also infer that he was contrasting how peaceful it was outside with the glazing water and the white chickens to how disturbed it was inside with the dying patient The simplicity of these poem leaves the reader to interpret it in many ways. This poem did have an effect on me. I did not like the poem at first glance. However, when reviewing this