12 An Ekphrastic Poem to Consider
An Ekphrastic Poem to Consider:
“Dissonance / (if you are interested) / leads to discovery.”
The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
In Greece, aside from Homer’s use of the form when describing the shield of Achilles’ in his epic The Illiad, the ekphrasis was used in schools as an educative tool. Scenes were set up, like still life sets are for visual artists, and students were asked to write vivid descriptions of what they observed. It was fascinating for me to read this because, when I first began teaching, I used to do the same for my students. I think I will do that again! Who knew I was working in the parameters of ancient Grecian thought!
Today, so often we think of a ekphrasis as solely reserved to describe fine art; however, depending on how it is described, any object will do. Take this wheelbarrow in William Carlos Williams’ The Red Wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow is such a common object. With one wheel on the ground, it is pushed around here and there, bearing various weights: dirt, manure, stones. Here, its weight is described in its worth. “So much depends” Williams writes, “upon the red wheel/barrow.”
Everything about the poem communicates this theme of the importance of the lowly wheelbarrow and just how extraordinary the ordinary can be. By using the wheelbarrow as the subject of a poem, the object is instantly elevated. The wheelbarrow itself is an object “glazed” - a word often used to describe finely crafted pottery. Here, nature itself, has provided the glaze: rain. The structure of the poems also expresses the importances of what is small. There is an economy of word use and selection. The lines move in a pattern from three words to one. All of the words are simple and all are kept small - written in the lowercase. In this economy, the word “wheel” is written to stand alone. This rounded shape together with the colors “red” and “white” pop out from the poem, as if it were a painter’s canvas. Also, in keeping wheel out - again we think on that one aspect of the wheel barrow - meditate on the significance on the wheel for a while, it is the same concept. Just think of the human relationship with the wheel. How very important in making our lives easier is that one simple invention.
Questions
What type of ekphrasis is this?
How many lines are in this poem?
Do you see any repeating words or phrases?
What imagery stands out to you?
Does the writer employ figurative language? If so, explain.
What is your interpretation of this poem?
How do the words make you feel?
Does this work inspire you in any way?