Flowers through the window
lavender and yellow

changed by white curtains—
Smell of cleanliness—

Sunshine of late afternoon—
On the glass tray

a glass pitcher, the tumbler
turned down, by which

a key is lying— And the
immaculate white bed

Analysis, meaning and summary of William Carlos Williams's poem Nantucket

7 Comments

  1. R Harold says:

    Mr. Williams employs great economy to describe looking out a bedroom window on a summer day. He compares the relative sterile bedroom separated from the colorful nature just outside the window. Glass of the window is both a barrier keeping nature out and a means to allow the colors of the flowers and the sunlight to enter. But in the bedroom, there is no color but the white curtains and the bed. There is only a smell of cleanliness in the room, perhaps an lack of any smell, or the smell of some antiseptic or detergent in the air. The perfume of flowers do not enter the room. The glass pitcher is probably empty and the tumbler must be empty as it is upside down. The key expressed both that nature is locked out and yet available if the key is used to unlock the door. The bedroom though sterile, is a sanctuary. The bed is immaculate, pure and untouched. Not sure that Mr. Williams means anything more than observing our relationship with nature as somewhat removed, though not divorced.

  2. Lorraime Gray says:

    William Carlos Williams was a medical doctor by profession, a poet by in-
    nate talents. “Nantucket” fits the structure and emotion of many of his poems: images, above all, capture a mood. One need not ever have been to Nantucket. Any seaside shore town would do to evoke a magic moment of a summer day. Ah, beautiful.

  3. suzanne says:

    sometimes on cold nights i sit on our space heater and pleasure myself for hours with golden flowers and gems scattered by my feet..spank me for my sinful thoughts…

  4. chickhole says:

    i like sex. hot and corney. it tickles my senses. i love you

  5. sean paul says:

    we’ll be burnin, no consernan wat nobody got to say… jamaica is where its at

  6. Sarah Bucken says:

    Blah blah blah this poem has nothing to do with Nantucket. There’s no such place as Nantucket! What the buck! Daineineeneeinein

  7. Kylie says:

    i love nantucket, i havnt been there for 3 years but i remember everything about it. William Carlos Williams captured exactly what its like to be there during the summer.

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