Analysis: “Spring and All” – William Carlos Williams

Argument Williams uses the nature of spring and winter to compare the human aspects of life and death by exploring the idea that spring is a new beginning, while winter is a cold end.

Interpretation The first half of the poem uses the nature imagery of winter to portray the ideas of death and sadness. Beyond, the/ waste of broad muddy fields/ brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen (4-6). There is a transition from winter to spring which represents the comparison between life and death. Lifeless in appearance, sluggish/ dazed spring approaches- (14-15) The second half uses the idea of spring as a time of birth and renewal to represent a new beginning and hope. They enter the new world naked,/ cold, uncertain of all (16-17)

Sense Speaker: Person standing in the field Point of view: First Person Mood: Empty “Waste of broad, muddy fields” (5) “The scattering of tall trees” (8) Hope “They enter the new world naked” (16) Motif: life and death “Brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen” (6) “rooted, they grip down and begin to awaken” (26-27) Allusion “contagious hospital” (1) Intent/Effect: Williams changes his word choice between the two parts of the poem to give the readers a different feeling in the poem that provides a contrast for the ideas of life and death.

Senses Intent/Effect: Winter/Death Imagery Waste/dried weeds Muddy/brown/reddish/purplish Standing water Dead Spring/Hopeful Imagery Naked Entrance Profound change New world Grass/ wildcarrot leaf Nature Imagery Clouds/wind Weeds/trees/twiggy Water/blue Leaves/vines Symbolism “mottled clouds”(3) “patches of standing water/ the scattering of tall trees”(7-8) Intent/Effect: Williams wants to show the readers how the ideas of life and death can be seen through the transition of winter and spring. He uses dark imagery of nature to show sadness and death , then uses hopeful imagery to implement life and hope.

Style Personification Stream of Consciousness Intent/Effect: Personification is used in the poem to give nature human-like characteristics so we can relate to it. He uses stream of consciousness to paint a clear picture of the ideas he is trying to get across. Personification “Lifeless in appearance, sluggish/dazed spring approaches”(14-15) “Rooted, they/ grip down and begin to awaken”(27-28) Stream of Consciousness “reddish/ purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy/ stuff of bushes and small trees/ with dead, brown leaves under them/ leafless vines”(9-13)

Sound Free verse Slant rhyme Entire poem “reddish, purplish” (9-10) Intent/Effect: There is no rhyme. There is only free verse because it helps to emphasize the ambiguity of life and death and how there are no rules or regulations to these events. He uses slant rhyme to emphasize the imagery in the work of literature . Free verse Entire poem Slant rhyme “reddish, purplish” (9-10) Leafless vines-/ lifeless in appearance, sluggish (

Structure Structure of Stanzas Enjambment End-stopped Syntax Intent/Effect: He divides the poem where the first half is focused on death and the second half is focused on life by breaking them apart with a stanza that only has two lines. Structure of Stanzas 6 -> 2 -> 5 -> 2 -> 4 -> 4 -> 4 Death is sudden, can come to an end. Transition is two lines which represent sudden realization Life encounters many issues; regardless, life goes on. Enjambment “But now the stark dignity of/ entrance-Stile, the profound change” (24-25) End-stopped “Lifeless in appearance, sluggish/ dazed spring approaches-” (14-15) Syntax One whole sentence (4-18)

Connections Uses nature as a means to carry out his true thoughts “The Descent of Winter” “A Widow’s Lament in Springtime” Enjambments and end-stops “Death” “The Pink Locust” The idea of connecting the themes in his poems to aspects of humanity “The Botticellian Trees Historical Context: War/ Williams’ experience as a doctor World war I: 1918 Poem written: 1923

Class Activity: Discussion Questions The first line (about the contagious hospital) is really different from everything that comes after it. What would this poem be like if Williams had just left it out? How would it change the meaning? Do you get a sense of who’s talking here? Does this description of the landscape sound like a voice-over in a movie, or do you imagine an actual person looking out at this scene from the side of the road? The poem is broken up into lots of small sections. What effect does that create? Do you like that effect? If you could scrunch these lines together into a couple of paragraphs, would you? How would that change the poem? The mood in the poem seems to shift around. By the end, are you left feeling excited and happy about spring arriving? Does the change outweigh the cold feeling of the beginning? Or, do you react in some other way?

Conclusion Williams creates a transition from winter to spring as a celebration of hope and renewal by relating it to the concepts of life and death.