Early Poems

by William Carlos Williams, Richard Koss (Editor)

One of the most original and widely imitated poets of the twentieth century, William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) wrote verse firmly rooted in concrete experience and the particulars of everyday life. A practicing physician for more than 40 years, Williams worked in the idiom of modern American speech ― unlike his friend and mentor, Ezra Pound ― and his poems are redolent with a warmth and generosity of spirit. The Beat poets were particularly impressed with the accessibility of his language, and Williams's widely quoted dictum, "No ideas but in things," influenced a generation of American poets.
This fine selection offers readers the opportunity to study and enjoy the richness and variety of Williams's early work. More than 70 poems, published between 1917 and 1921, include "Peace on Earth," "Tract," "El Hombre," "Danse Russe," "Keller Gegen Dom," "Willow Poem," "Queen-Anne's-Lace," "Portrait of a Lady," "The Widow's Lament in Springtime," and many others.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2011

About the author

William 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.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Carlos Williams was known for creating poetry from everyday experience and using the language of American life to form it. This introductory book provides over 70 examples of that poetry, examples that sometimes stunned me with their beauty or aptness, occasionally confused me as I was completely unable to catch the meaning of the words--even though they are the every day words. I found it to be a curious mix.

But when a poem stunned or caught me, I found it to be one that I knew I would want to read again. (In fact, those that perplexed me the most I read 2 or 3 times to try to parse out what I might be missing.) Maybe I was simply trying to dig too deep and the beauty or meaning was on the surface.

Among my favorites is "To Waken an Old Lady." From that poem:

Old age is
a flight of small
cheeping birds
skimming
bare trees
above a snow glaze.
Gaining and failing
they are buffetted
by a dark wind---

Other poems I liked, in no particular order except how I find them now in the book, are Blizzard, Willow Poem, Overture to a Dance of Locomotives (really wonderful), The Widow's Lament in Springtime, Apology, Spring Storm, Dedication for a Plot of Ground, A Portrait in Greys, To a Solitary Disciple, Dawn, Love Song, and Tract. There are so many poems that I want to read again and some that I did read again as while writing this review. Some I find I am actually liking even more.

I will read more of Williams' poetry in the future. Isn't that the perfect outcome to reading an introductory volume?

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[John Reis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only poem I know by Williams is “The Red Wheelbarrow.” I like it.

These early poems are so strange and lacking in general or wide reference that I do not understand them. But some of the later poems are quite good, including: “Hic Jacet,” “Marriage,” “To Mark Antony in Heaven,” “Daisy, “The Thinker” and “The Great Figure,”

These are all short poems, little pictures. His longer poems do not work for me and some I dislike.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relish these early William Carlos Williams poems like choice morsels at your favorite restaurant or fragile blown glass light in your hand – some you will savor more than others, some you will recognize and say aloud to hear their bell like echoes in your heart.

And then you can return to savor them again and again – their portraits richly alive after these many years for our delight.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EARLY POEMS
(Dover Edition)
Written by William Carlos Williams
2015, 64 Pages
Genre: poetry

​​(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.).

★★★★

I like Williams' poetry but I think I am more partial to his latter work. I still enjoyed this collection enough to leave it on my eReader to reread.

k (My Novelesque Life)

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this while waiting out the heat of the Utah desert, surrounded by living and dying junipers, under the alive blue sky, and on the rim of the canyonlands country carved by the Colorado River. There was an ordinary feel to the poems, and I know part of his appeal is using more American language in a break from romantic European styles, but it loses some of its appeal in the breadth of time. This sentence is exactly what love is: "Now the little by-path /Which leadeth to love/Is again joyful with its many; /And the great highway /From love Is without passers." Simple, funny, light, these poems speak of the time that seems simpler, but just was another time and which appeals to my old soul.

HOMAGE

Elvira, by love’s grace
There goeth before you
A clear radiance
Which maketh all vain souls
Candles when noon is.
The loud clangour of pretenders
Melteth before you
Like the roll of carts passing,
But you come silently
And homage is given.
Now the little by-path
Which leadeth to love
Is again joyful with its many;
And the great highway
From love Is without passers.

Gulls

For you will not soon have another singer.
First I say this: you have seen the strange birds,
have you not, that sometimes rest upon our
river in winter? Let them cause you to think
well then of the storms that drive many to shelter.
These things do not happen without reason.
And the next thing I say is this:
I saw an eagle once circling against the clouds

El Hombre

It’s a strange courage you give me ancient star:
Shine alone in the sunrise toward which you lend no part!

Ballet

We will tear their flowers with arms flashing!
And when the astonished stars push aside their curtains
they will see us fall exhausted
where wheels and the pounding feet of horses
will crush forth our laughter.

FIRST PRAISE

Lady of duskwood fastnesses, Thou art my Lady.
I have known the crisp splintering leaf-tread with thee on before,
White, slender through green saplings;
I have lain by thee on the grey forest floor
Beside thee, my Lady. Lady of rivers strewn with stones…


IMMORTAL

Yes, there is one thing braver than all flowers;
Richer than clear gems; wider than the sky;
Immortal and unchangeable; whose powers
Transcend reason, love and sanity!
And thou, beloved, art that godly thing!
Marvellous and terrible; in glance
An injured Juno roused against Heaven’s King!

And thy name, lovely One, is Ignorance.

The Old Worshipper

Quiet and unnoticed
The flower of your whole life
Has opened its perfect petals—
And none to witness, save one
Old worshipper!

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Poems by William Carlos Williams is a collection of the poet's early work from Dover Thrift Publications. Born in America in 1883 Williams is a contemporary of Ezra Pound and Willaim Frost. His work is associated with modernism and imagism. Williams work reflects the American identity of poetry breaking away from the strict British and European form. It was a raw, fresh, and grew from the American experience.

This is a collection for those who think they might like poetry but are afraid of the baggage that accompanies poetry interpretation. Williams style is simple and contains plenty of imagery that any reader can easily understand by all.

There is a bird in the poplars!
It is the sun!
the leaves are yellow little fish
swimming in the river.
The bird skims above them,
day is on his wings.

...

~ Metric Figure

Williams not only examines nature but harbors and a lengthy poem on a train station, "Overture to the Dance of Locomotives", is perhaps my favorite from the collection. There is nothing complicated to the reading. It can be read simply for enjoyment without worry of iambic meter, fertility references, or fear that your thinking of the poem is wrong. Thoroughly an enjoyable collection poems. This edition is available as an ebook for just over two dollars also eliminated the worry of spending too much money on a subject that the reader is unfamiliar with. A very worthwhile addition to anyone's library.

[Caleb Lail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm it’s not that it’s bad. And I’ll try not to review it based on the fact that there are multiple poems per page and the collection is QUITE varied, but I don’t know. These were very hit and miss for me. Some of his poems, I adored! Really good, Modern stuff. Some of it bordered into rhyme-less romanticism, which could be a good thing! It isn’t here. Some poems just feel awkward. They could’ve used editing (says the guy nearly 100 years later)! I don’t know. I wouldn’t not recommend him, but I’d suggest being selective about what you read by him.

[João Moura · Rating 4 out of 5]

São 70 poemas demonstrativos dos primeiros trabalhos de William Carlos Williams, um poeta que fazia magia com as pequenas coisas que via no quotidiano, como os chinelos da esposa, e que mesmo usando linguagem simples, por vezes nos faz ler várias vezes um poema até o compreendermos...

[meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’ve enjoyed a few williams poems over the years but some of this collection didn’t really speak to me. (this isn’t about you “the old worshipper.”) i’m still hoping to give “paterson” a chance at some point.

[Jeffrey Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite poet

[Michael Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved what is good. Meh what is not.
Too many exclamation marks.
(My copy of this book is on 58 pages long.)

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the most accessible poems in this collection came from Williams's work AL QUE QUIERE. My favorite was entitled "Tract," a passionate poem about the powerful, often confusing and sometimes contradictory emotions that accompany one who is in the process of mourning.

[Risa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Poems (Dover Thrift Editions) by William Carlos Williams (1997)

[Nick Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Carlos Williams got really crappy really quickly, but early on he's tolerable.