William+Carlos+Williams

1. The poetry of William Carlos Williams shows us how important it is to slow down and "see" the world around us. He was an influential poet of the 20 Century and his ideas allow us to paint scenes in our minds. some of his words of wisdom for writers are written below. Take a moment to read his poems, underlining the words that help you picture the scene, then draw the picture each poem paints in your mind.

"Say it---no ideas but in things." "Perception is the first act of the imagination." "Write what's at the end of your nose."

[|William Carlos Williams.doc]

2. Notice how the author was "inspired" to write about everyday things that may have just gone unnoticed. WCW techniques:

concrete things = everyday objects and scenes vivid description = colors, shapes, sizes form = stanzas, line groupings

3. Write a rough draft of a poem about an "everyday" thing that you notice. Include What you see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and the actions it makes. Advanced students will also want to try using a form (stanzas) to group their ideas, and possibly metaphors and personification. Here are some revision possibilities: [|Poem Draft-revision possibilities.doc]