William Carlos Williams

• He was a member of the early 20th century imagist movement
• Williams was an American poet and medical doctor
• His structural forms included free verse, short lines and enjambment
• He would isolate clear, precise images in his work and position the reader to find beauty and meaning in everyday, mundane reality
• This is Just to Say is a form of found poetry which is created by taking words, phrases or sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them in poetry by making changes in spacing lines. This genre was influenced by the 'found art' movement popularised by Marcel Duchamp who exhibited urinals and other ready made objects in prominent galleries
• Hunters in the Snow is an ekphrastic poem inspired by the painting in the 16th century by Pieter Brueghel. The original painting was interpreted as a religious allegory which suggests that mankind is a powerless, insignificant entity who is at the mercy of the seasons and rhythms of the year. Faith is in God and the natural order can give people meaning and comfort
• Landscape with the Fall of Icarus is an ekphrastic poem based on the 16th century Netherlandish artist Pieter Brueghel's painting of the same name. Williams' experiences as a doctor may have influenced his views on the relative insignificance of individual human suffering and tragedy in the context of the wider universe as a whole when confronted with death and tragedy
• Icarus attempted to escape from prison using wings made from feathers and wax. Ignoring his father's warnings he flew too close to the sun and died. The story is traditionally interpreted as an allegorical warning against hubris
• The Great Figure is about the ubiquitous dangers of city life and the danger and instability of the urban environment
• The Red Wheelbarrow could be symbolic of the value of manual labour and seeking beauty in mundane, everyday experiences