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November 11th, 2009 - we have 234 poets, 8,023 poems and 17,875 comments.
Analysis and comments on The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams

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Comment 66 of 66, added on October 21st, 2009 at 4:38 AM.

i really don't get this poem i just thinks it is about like simple things
and he felt motivated to write about a read barrow and chickens lol

unknown 2 u from United States
Comment 65 of 66, added on March 18th, 2009 at 7:22 PM.

I think that this poem is saying that it is the little things in life that
matter. He is giving an example of this by describing a red wheelbarrow
sitting in the rain beside some chickens, and NOTHING MORE!!

Aaron from United States
Comment 64 of 66, added on March 16th, 2009 at 6:24 PM.

meh. i understand that many people think this is a brilliant poem. but it
seems disappointing that of many modern poems, this would seem to be the
epitome of poetic evolution. this is not like cubism, which is actually
difficult to draw. these are words a child could write down. art is all
about practice, passion, and perfection. i'm not about to call a child's
stick figure a work of genius.

kylie from United Kingdom
Comment 63 of 66, added on November 4th, 2008 at 6:00 AM.

It is about one central idea. Williams compresses the smaller images,(the
words in the poem), to create the whole so you can "see it".

David from Canada
Comment 62 of 66, added on October 18th, 2008 at 11:21 AM.

Dear me, al this fuss over a poem which probably the poet had no true
conscious thoughts about (if you're into new criticism).
The Wimsatts and Beardleys, the Fish's and Holland's of this world will
always have their views on whether Art is just Art (objective criticism)and
no more or whether there is only meaning in the response of the reader
(subjective criticism) but I support Iser with his Interactive theory -
there will always be some meaning intended but there are gaps for us to
fill in - the reader is guided to fill these in, so make your
interpretations as you will and don't argue over it! Enjoy it!
Personally I'm open minded on this one -like the idea of the red white and
blue but also love the child walking theory but it's all speculation - i
reckon he just felt that even the bare basic and rural tools have been
particularly useful in making life what it is.

karlene from United Kingdom
Comment 61 of 66, added on February 19th, 2008 at 2:16 PM.

I am an English teacher and so I love symbolism, etc. but people are
reading way too much into these poems, things that aren't there. So much
depends on a wheelbarrow literally and that image is beautiful and simple.
There's nothing else necessary.

Samantha from United States
Comment 60 of 66, added on February 19th, 2008 at 12:46 AM.

I cant believe that this tiny, simple, little poem has provoked so many
different interpretations

Sarah from Ireland
Comment 59 of 66, added on February 5th, 2008 at 9:24 PM.

The person who said the red, white and blue. for wheelbarrow, chickens and
water. Water is clear, the ocean is blue because it is the reflection of
the sky.
And another mentioned that Williams wrote this poem after checking for
strep throat. I read elsewhere that it was after he had delivered a baby
who had died during the delivery. Where are you getting your facts?

dlrkdus from United States
Comment 58 of 66, added on June 6th, 2007 at 8:57 PM.

the background to this poem is that Williams, who was a physician, was with
a terminaly ill child, looking out a window, he saw a wheelbarrow across
the courtyard. he thought if he could just get the child to walk to the
wheelbarrow, the child might have a chance to live. the child never made
it out of the bed, and the poem is about how he paid more attention to
getting the child to walk than to live.

bob from Canada
Comment 57 of 66, added on May 17th, 2007 at 7:03 PM.

I know what it means
its about poetry
its not straight forward
he is saying that so much depends on the little details to make poetry
right

Big-D-Rob

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Information about The Red Wheelbarrow

Poet: William Carlos Williams
Poem: The Red Wheelbarrow
Added: Feb 20 2003
Viewed: 35760 times


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