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The Tempers
In 1913, Williams Carlos Williams published his second book of poetry, The Tempers, through a small publishing house in London with the help of fellow modern poet, Ezra Pound. Williams was already 30 years old at the time, but this collection was just an early step in his career. A first edition copy of The Tempers, one of only 1000 printed, is preserved at the Watkinson Library in a small, royal blue box.
The artifact is eye-catching not for its grandeur or style, but because it is so small. At around four and a half inches, the entire book fits in the palm of your hand. Something about its miniature-nature marks the book’s uniqueness and makes it even more enticing to encounter. Other than the blue box (which was likely added by the Watkinson to protect the fragile binding), a plain, beige cover and gold inscription of the title are the only decorations. These stylistic choices seem to speak to Williams as a poet. The simplicity of the edition is a reminder of his domestic and pastoral subjects as well as his emphasis on honesty.
The artifact is eye-catching not for its grandeur or style, but because it is so small. At around four and a half inches, the entire book fits in the palm of your hand. Something about its miniature-nature marks the book’s uniqueness and makes it even more enticing to encounter. Other than the blue box (which was likely added by the Watkinson to protect the fragile binding), a plain, beige cover and gold inscription of the title are the only decorations. These stylistic choices seem to speak to Williams as a poet. The simplicity of the edition is a reminder of his domestic and pastoral subjects as well as his emphasis on honesty.
90 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1913
17 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
William Carlos Williams
413 books827 followersWilliam Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine. Williams "worked harder at being a writer than he did at being a physician," wrote biographer Linda Wagner-Martin. During his long lifetime, Williams excelled both as a poet and a physician.
Although his primary occupation was as a doctor, Williams had a full literary career. His work consists of short stories, poems, plays, novels, critical essays, an autobiography, translations, and correspondence. He wrote at night and spent weekends in New York City with friends—writers and artists like the avant-garde painters Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia and the poets Wallace Stevens and Marianne Moore. He became involved in the Imagist movement but soon he began to develop opinions that differed from those of his poetic peers, Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot. Later in his life, Williams toured the United States giving poetry readings and lectures.
In May 1963, he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems (1962) and the Gold Medal for Poetry of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. The Poetry Society of America continues to honor William Carlos Williams by presenting an annual award in his name for the best book of poetry published by a small, non-profit or university press.
Williams' house in Rutherford is now on the National Register of Historic Places. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Although his primary occupation was as a doctor, Williams had a full literary career. His work consists of short stories, poems, plays, novels, critical essays, an autobiography, translations, and correspondence. He wrote at night and spent weekends in New York City with friends—writers and artists like the avant-garde painters Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia and the poets Wallace Stevens and Marianne Moore. He became involved in the Imagist movement but soon he began to develop opinions that differed from those of his poetic peers, Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot. Later in his life, Williams toured the United States giving poetry readings and lectures.
In May 1963, he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems (1962) and the Gold Medal for Poetry of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. The Poetry Society of America continues to honor William Carlos Williams by presenting an annual award in his name for the best book of poetry published by a small, non-profit or university press.
Williams' house in Rutherford is now on the National Register of Historic Places. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 25, 2019
Williams gropes for fresh images and allusions to evoke stale romantic ideas.
January 18, 2022
William Carlos Williams's first collection (to my knowledge). There is a romantic trend in this collection. Both in terms of the Romantics (Wordsworth, Byron, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, etc...) and the inclinations of a young romantic - by which I mean to call attention to the number of poems that are addressed to, or refer to, women who may or may not exist, who may have served as muses for the young poet...
Your hair is my Carthage
And my arms the bow,
And our words arrows
To shoot the stars
Who from that misty sea
- Postlude
Elvira, by love's grace
There goeth before you
A clear radiance
Which maketh all vain souls
Candles when noon is.
- Homage
His prophetic/allegorical poems are reminiscent of Blake and perhaps even Nietzsche...
'For the truth is already here: for after all, the people are here! Woe, woe to those who seek!' - thus has it echoes through the ages.
- Friedrich Nietzsche, "On the Famous Wise Men" (from THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA)
He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise
- William Blake, "Eternity"
In this embodiment of the poet as prophet, Williams aligns himself with Blake. The missing link between Williams and Blake is Walt Whitman. One motif that is recurrent in Blake, Whitman, and the early work of Williams, is the poem as "song"...
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself"
On the day when you is no more upon me
I will write of the leaves and the moon in a tree top!
I will sing then the song, long in the making -
When the stress of youth is put away from me.
- To Wish Myself Courage
Your hair is my Carthage
And my arms the bow,
And our words arrows
To shoot the stars
Who from that misty sea
- Postlude
Elvira, by love's grace
There goeth before you
A clear radiance
Which maketh all vain souls
Candles when noon is.
- Homage
His prophetic/allegorical poems are reminiscent of Blake and perhaps even Nietzsche...
I tried to put a bird in a cage.
O fool that I am!
For the bird was Truth.
Sing merrily, Truth: I tried to put
Truth in a cage!
- The Fool's Song
'For the truth is already here: for after all, the people are here! Woe, woe to those who seek!' - thus has it echoes through the ages.
- Friedrich Nietzsche, "On the Famous Wise Men" (from THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA)
He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise
- William Blake, "Eternity"
In this embodiment of the poet as prophet, Williams aligns himself with Blake. The missing link between Williams and Blake is Walt Whitman. One motif that is recurrent in Blake, Whitman, and the early work of Williams, is the poem as "song"...
Bring me an axe and spade,
Bring me a winding sheet;
When I my grave have made,
Let winds and tempests beat:
Then down I'll lie, as cold as clay.
True love doth pass away!
- William Blake, "Song: My silks and fine array"
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself"
On the day when you is no more upon me
I will write of the leaves and the moon in a tree top!
I will sing then the song, long in the making -
When the stress of youth is put away from me.
- To Wish Myself Courage
November 12, 2025
William Carlos Williams was born in New Jersey in 1883. His father, William George Williams, was born in England but raised from "a very young age" in the Dominican Republic and "was most comfortable speaking in Spanish, which was the primary language spoken in the Williams's home. His mother was from Puerto Rico, and of French heritage.
In “The Tempers,” Williams's style reflects an Imagist sensibility, though it still exudes a Latin and romantic suggestiveness. The craftmanship of Ezra Pound is notable here, and even as he matured, Williams adhered to Pound's dictum to "make it new."
This volume will interest those who are intrigued with Williams’ development; however, few of these selections have been anthologized. Reading “The Tempers” is akin to eating a Twinkie; it satisfies at the moment but is evanescent.
In “The Tempers,” Williams's style reflects an Imagist sensibility, though it still exudes a Latin and romantic suggestiveness. The craftmanship of Ezra Pound is notable here, and even as he matured, Williams adhered to Pound's dictum to "make it new."
This volume will interest those who are intrigued with Williams’ development; however, few of these selections have been anthologized. Reading “The Tempers” is akin to eating a Twinkie; it satisfies at the moment but is evanescent.
August 11, 2018
Postlude; The Ordeal; Hic Jacet
February 27, 2019
Early Dr. Williams is certainly not the best Dr. Williams however I enjoyed comparing this with his later works.
June 23, 2022
it’s a three.5 but more people need to read williams so 4
July 1, 2022
One of my favorite poets, very short book. Working my way through his complete works. Good but nothing stood out here.
August 26, 2023
My favorite poet writing not-my-favorite-poetry, unfortunately.
December 1, 2025
It's impressive to see William struggling like this to find his true voice in his first works. Great to watch you doctor burning your soul in a pot through years time to find your way...
May 23, 2022
Still I bring flowers
Although you fling them at my feet
Until none stays
That is not struck across with wounds:
Flowers and flowers
That you may break them utterly
As you have always done.
Sure happily
I still bring flowers, flowers,
Knowing how all
Are crumpled in your praise
And may not live
To speak a lesser thing.
Although you fling them at my feet
Until none stays
That is not struck across with wounds:
Flowers and flowers
That you may break them utterly
As you have always done.
Sure happily
I still bring flowers, flowers,
Knowing how all
Are crumpled in your praise
And may not live
To speak a lesser thing.
May 5, 2012
The Tempers is an early work by William Carlos Williams that, according to Professor/Critic Bernard Duffey, "was directed by an Imagist feeling, though it still depended on romantic and poeticized allusiveness." When compared to one of his later and more famous poems such as "The Red Wheelbarrow," I think The Tempers is far more reflective of the romanticism of two of Williams' favorite poets, Keats and Whitman.
It is a quick read, but I cannot say that many of the poems really spoke to me. I enjoyed "Peace on Earth" because it reminds me of William Blake: (snippet)
The Bears are abroad!
The Eagle is screaming!
Gold against blue
Their eyes are gleaming!
Sleep!
Sleep safe til to-morrow.
"The Fool's Song" is also interesting: (snippet)
I tried to put a bird in a cage.
O fool that I am!
For the bird was truth . . .
I also enjoyed his ode to Lancelot and living life vigorously in "Con Brio":
Miserly, is the best description of that poor fool
Who hold Lancelot to have been a morose fellow, . . .
. . . But, by the god of blood, what else is it that has deterred
Us all from an out and out defiance of fear
But this same perdamnable miserliness,
Which cries about our necks how we shall have less and less
Than we have now if we spend too wantonly?
Bah! This sort of slither is below contempt!
In the same vein we should have apple trees exempt
From bearing anything but pink blossoms all year,
Fixed permanent lest their bellies wax unseemly, and the dear
Innocent days of them be wasted quite.
How can we have less? Have we not the deed?
Lancelot thought little, spent his gold and rode to fight
Mounted, if God was willing, on a good steed
The collection is free on Amazon Kindle and well worth the read.
It is a quick read, but I cannot say that many of the poems really spoke to me. I enjoyed "Peace on Earth" because it reminds me of William Blake: (snippet)
The Bears are abroad!
The Eagle is screaming!
Gold against blue
Their eyes are gleaming!
Sleep!
Sleep safe til to-morrow.
"The Fool's Song" is also interesting: (snippet)
I tried to put a bird in a cage.
O fool that I am!
For the bird was truth . . .
I also enjoyed his ode to Lancelot and living life vigorously in "Con Brio":
Miserly, is the best description of that poor fool
Who hold Lancelot to have been a morose fellow, . . .
. . . But, by the god of blood, what else is it that has deterred
Us all from an out and out defiance of fear
But this same perdamnable miserliness,
Which cries about our necks how we shall have less and less
Than we have now if we spend too wantonly?
Bah! This sort of slither is below contempt!
In the same vein we should have apple trees exempt
From bearing anything but pink blossoms all year,
Fixed permanent lest their bellies wax unseemly, and the dear
Innocent days of them be wasted quite.
How can we have less? Have we not the deed?
Lancelot thought little, spent his gold and rode to fight
Mounted, if God was willing, on a good steed
The collection is free on Amazon Kindle and well worth the read.
September 28, 2012
Great if you use it to track WCW's development through his career as a poet. Still I would recommend this to any poetry fan I gave it three stars because of how I think it stacks up with his later work which is very different and more prolific.
March 16, 2012
My first foray into William Carlos Williams. Not sure where these poems rank in his oeuvre, but I just thought these were okay.
January 1, 2014
Free ebook of William Carlos Williams poems. Like Sour Grapes, not my favorite collection.
November 21, 2018
Early WC Williams--very derivative, full of traditional artifice, not in any way revealing the greatness to come.
November 17, 2018
This is a collection of beautifully written poems that are deep, thoughtful, and avant garde. Published in 1913, with help from his friend, Ezra Pound, this is Williams’ second published work.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews