Comparing The Poetry Of William Carlos Williams And H. D.

Imagism was a movement in the 20th century that focused on having a clear message and description in poems in order to provide vivid imagery for the reader. These poems often did not rhyme, had irregular beat, and depended on the power of an image to convey an emotion. It has been described as one of the most influential movements in English poetry. Two common and popular Imagist poets at the time and even today are: William Carlos Williams and H.D. (Hilda Doolittle). Both of these writers knew each other from college both share similarities in their poems. They both use imagery and write about nature in their poems. However, they also share many differences as well. I will compare and contrast some of Williams poems with H.D.’s poems. Williams Carlos Williams was born in Rutherford, New Jersey in 1883. He attended the School of Dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania and first met and became friends with Hilda Doolittle. Williams was a pediatrician for most of his life before he retired due to poor health. This is when Williams became more involved with writing and seeked to create a new form of poetry.
Williams drags this poem on by creating an interest with the reader in his first line, “so much depends”. Williams does not reveal what he is talking about until the 4th line which is just one word; “barrow”. The fact that Williams splits the word “wheel” from the word “barrow” makes the reader visualize that the wheelbarrow is composed of two different and distinct parts. He also does this in lines 5 and 6 with “rain” and “water”. Williams ends the poem suggesting that the red wheelbarrow is beside white chickens. Again, Williams carefully describes the chickens as being “white”. The Red Wheelbarrow is a free verse poem that is composed of only one sentence. I believe the main purpose of this poem was to show imagery in the most minimalist