WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMSAlec Foss

Childhood

Born Sept 17th 1883 First of two sons English father, Puerto

Rican mother Grandmother named

Emily Dickenson

Schooling Showed early interest in

math and science Late high school is when he

decided he liked literature. Given strong and extremely

strict morals by his parents. University of Pennsylvania

– Medicine Schooling influenced by his

parents Used college as a means to

creativity

Early Adulthood

Married Florence Hermen 1912

He was a successful physician

After publishing Spring Is All, did not publish another book of poetry for 10 years.

Career As a Poet Drew upon John Keats and

Walt Whitman for inspiration – “Keats was my god.”

Ezra Pound – friend and mentor

Rebelled against rigid and ordered poetry – imagist movement.

Not very well known until Paterson

Was invited to be a consultant in the library of congress – failed.

Later Life

Failing health seemed to boost his creative strength

Died Mar. 4th 1963 Last book, Pictures

From Brueghel, won a Pulitzer in 1963

Some of his works

The Tempers 1913 Kora In Hell: Improvisations 1920 Spring And All 1923 The Red Wheelbarrow 1938

Poem (As the cat)William Carlos Williams

As the catclimbed overthe top of

the jamclosetfirst the rightforefoot

carefullythen the hindstepped downinto the pit ofthe emptyflowerpot

Free verse poem

Obviously about a cat

Jamcloset – closet where you put jams?

As the cat

climbed over

the top of

the jamcloset

first the right

forefoot

carefully

then the hind

stepped down

into the pit ofthe empty

flowerpot

As the cat

climbed over

the top of

the jamcloset

first the right

forefoot

carefully

then the hind

stepped down

into the pit of

the empty

flowerpot

Cat climbing over something

Uses the front right foot first

Then steps into an empty flower pot

Rhythm As the cat

climbed over

the top of

the jamcloset

first the right

forefoot

carefully

then the hind

stepped down

into the pit of

the empty

flowerpot

333

Syllables

432

342533

Theme

Seems to be about a cat climbing over something then into a flowerpot

The last stanzas last three lines have a descending rhythm which leads you to the end where he ends up in a flowerpot

“Carefully” sticks out

Interpretation

My interpretation of this poem is simple.

Williams was probably sitting somewhere

looking for something to write about when

he saw a cat climb over something

(a jamcloset) and then fall into a flowerpot.

He probably thought it was funny (which it

probably was), and wrote a poem about it.

Sources

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=174770

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carlos_Williams