RAINDROPS ON A BRIAR

By: Megan Gulland, Eryn Jackson and Jessica Calk

THESIS William Carlos Williams uses imagery

and movement to compare the skills of a writer and the skills of a painter.

Briar: A Mediterranean shrub or small tree with hard, woody roots and thorns.

Hipped: interested or obsessed.

Static: lacking in movement, action or change.

OVERALL INTERPRETATION

A man who is a writer and was once intrigued in painting “I, a writer, at one time hipped on painting”

He sees regular objects in a more artistic way than most, which helps him to see the movement in the paintings.

He talks about 3 different art styles: Writing Painting “irregularly as an accompaniment” – refers to

music

LANGUAGE

LITERARY DEVICES Imagery:

“- The flowers, the gloves-” (Stanza 2, line 2)

“A series of varying leaves clinging”(Stanza 4, Lines 3-4)

“The cat-briar after last night’s storm, its waterdrops ranged upon the arching stems irregularly”( Stanza 5, Lines 1-4)

PURPOSE/EFFECT He talks about paintings in order

to help the reader imagine what he imagines

He wants the reader to be able to see what he sees

LITERARY DEVICES: METAPHOR/SIMILE

“A pregnant motion” ( Stanza 4, line 2)Meaning an important motion

“but the thinking male or the charged and delivering female frantic with ecstasies”Williams feels like the paintings come to

life. “the arching stems irregularly as an

accompaniment”A simile is a comparison of one thing and

another of a different kind

PURPOSE/EFFECT Williams uses metaphors and similes to

show the reader that he believes, that since he is a writer and is intrigued with painting, that he has a more creative mind.

SOUND

LITERARY DEVICES: REPETITION

Raindrops on a Briar

I, a writer, at one time hipped on painting, did not consider the effects, painting, for that reason, static, on

the contrary the stillness of the objects- the flowers, the gloves- freed them precisely by that from a necessity merely to move

in space as if they had been- not children! but the thinking male or the charged and deliver- ing female frantic with ecstasies;

served rather to present, for me, a more pregnant motion: a series of varying leaves clinging still, let us say, to

the cat-briar after last night’sstorm, its waterdropsranged upon the arching stems irregularly as an accompaniment.

Green: The repeating sound of “ing” x7

Red: The repeating sound of “ly” or “ty” x4

Purple: Alliteration - 2 phrases

PURPOSE/EFFECT All of the “ing” words are verbs.

It seems William Carlos Williams is telling us the things he was doing and how he feels about it. It kind of gives us the sense that he was writing, like someone would in a diary. Like, he was telling a story, not really a poem.

STRUCTURE

STRUCTURE 5 stanzas 4 lines in each stanza There are many dashes and commas

“The contrary the stillness of the objects—the flowers, the gloves—freed them precisely… etc.”

There is one period and it is at the end There is one exclamation mark in stanza

3, line 2

PURPOSE/EFFECT Williams uses this format in the poem to

help emphasize the important parts of the poem.

STYLE

LITERARY DEVICES Speaker: A man who writes and enjoys painting

Point of View: First Person

Tone: Informative “I, a writer, at one time hipped on painting”

Rhythm: The poem is very choppy, which kind of makes the poem harder to

understand or follow.

Mood: Relaxed He doesn’t really show much emotion

Enjambment: The entire poem is a run on line, where more information carries over from one line to the next.

PURPOSE/EFFECT Williams does this to inform the reader

of how creative he is and how creative they can be by looking into different forms of art.

He makes the poem choppy and difficult to read because both painting and writing can be difficult to understand.

JUXTAPOSITION Juxtaposition: Movement-Still

It’s showing the reader how the narrator has a more creative mind, because he can see how the paintings move.

Mini Activity: Get with partner and try to draw two pictures that juxtapose one another. (2-3 minutes)

PURPOSE/EFFECT He adds in juxtaposition to help

compareHis creativity with othersPainting and writingMovement and Static

SIMILAR POEMS Structure:

The Bitter World of Spring

Nature:Spring and AllThe Widow’s Lament in Springtime

The theme of nature is reoccurring

ACTIVITY (4-5 MINUTES) Write a 2-3 line poem with a partner,

and then try to “draw the poem.” Then discuss, did it turn out the way you

expected?

CONCLUSION Overall William Carlos Williams uses

imagery and movement to show how he is more creative because he is a writer, and can see movement within the paintings. Williams feels that the paintings come to life and he understands the painter through their artwork.