The poem of The Red Wheelbarrow

The Red Wheelbarrow: A Simple Poem with Deep Meaning

The Red Wheelbarrow poem seems plain, but it contains a deep meaning. Notably, the poem emphasizes imagery with straightforward sentences that culminate in pure simplicity. The poem clearly has one sentence that is divided into four stanzas, each of two lines. Individual stanza breaks draw attention to the vocabulary, and with deliberate word use, William transforms an ordinary sentence into a magnificently beautiful poem that influences the fundamental concept of The Red Wheelbarrow. As the speaker mentions chickens and a wheelbarrow, the poem’s persona is a poultry farmer. The persona is in the backyard of his house and looks at the wheelbarrow which is inside the sheds of poultry while few chickens huddle beside it (Gans). Additionally, it seems to be early in the morning after a rainy night as the wheelbarrow is shining with rainwater at the sunrise.

The Opening Lines: Setting the Tone and Introducing the Wheelbarrow

The opening lines, lines 1 and 2 help in setting the tone of the entire poem and are significant in the introduction of the idea of the wheelbarrow. These lines are meditative and make the farmer be thoughtful after realizing that the wheelbarrow is practically fundamental and its sense of dependence. Lines 3 and 4 vividly introduce the wheelbarrow. The word “red” and the monosyllable words put an unusual pause in the word “wheel” and “barrow” and thus having the effect breaking the wheelbarrow into parts (Gans). Besides, William uses the sentence to paint color and bring the object more close to the reader. Monosyllable words and assonance literary device elongate lines 5 and 6. The word “glazed” manages to evoke yet another painterly image, and the wheelbarrow is transformed by the rainwater making it have a new and fresh look and the vision which Williams aims at portraying to the reader (William). In lines 7 and 8, offer another color and ”white” is used in contrast to ”red” which was the conventional view of the wheelbarrow.

Imagery and Color: Depicting Themes and Symbolism

William heavily employs imagery and color in his poem. Interpreting the poem in the contexts of the underlying situation, the persona sees the wheelbarrow to be red which could probably imply blood, life, zeal, and courage which are part of what the farmer supports and sustains in his duty of work. Separating the wheelbarrow into the two parts, ”wheel“ and ”barrow,“ shows that the two parts depend on each other. Notably, the wheel could be viewed as the source of life to the object (William). The poem, therefore, depicts the theme of dependence and how important each part of the body is to the well-being of an individual. The chickens are white which suggests sacredness, purity, honesty, and uncorruption. Besides, in its simple setting, the poem illustrates peace in the farmer. There is also the spitting of the word ”rainwater” making us appreciate its importance to the farmer. William gracefully images the wheelbarrow to the reader and paints tranquility along with communicating the theme of dependence as a vital aspect of humans (Gans). The tone of the poem is sincere, and the reader is invited to the conversation of the farmer together with putting emphasis on color. In the last line, ”white“ is used as another color which is in contrast to the original ”red” color and through this, the ordinary view of the wheelbarrow becomes complete and transforms the conventional definition of the poem.

Works Cited

Gans Tristan. The Red Wheelbarrow: Dissecting the Minimal Masterpiece. 2011. Accessed on May 7, 2017, from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/536/the-red-wheelbarrow-dissecting-the-minimal-masterpiece

William Carlos Williams. ”The Red Wheelbarrow”. Poetry Foundation. Accessed on May 7, 2017 from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/features/articles/detail/68731