so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
The Red Wheelbarrow
Analysis, meaning and summary of William Carlos Williams's poem The Red Wheelbarrow
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Because poetry is all about the interactive thoughts of the reader and the ‘drawing’ ability of the writer, every interpretation is valid. I would like to point out the use of the word “depend” in the first line & how man (wheelbarrow)is inter-dependent on nature (chicken & rain and soil). The inter-dependency of all living things represent a cycle of existence. Why red & white? Red would be the bolder, more vibrant color of roosters and white, the symbol of innocence & purity (the chicken). Masculinity & Femininity are also inter-dependent for the existence/continuation of life. The concept ‘wheel’ is different than the concept of ‘barrow’…likewise the concept of ‘rain’ and ‘water’. The words themselves depend on each other to complete the full thought. Williams has ‘drawn’ a simplistic rural scene that serves to point out our responsibilities, humility, and understanding of our existence in the natural world.
I dont understand the poem its to short man
A child would not write “So much depends upon” nor would they say the wheelbarrow is “glazed in rainwater” thereby transform its aesthetic. Like good haiku, this poem says a great deal about life by observing the real in everyday life.
Rodney
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.