Hi everyone I have to write an essay regarding the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams and I need ideas. The poem is:
So much depens
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
besides the white
chickens.
The prompt is:
In a well organized essay, of a recommended 500- 700 words typist count, explain how "The Red Wheelbarrow" can logically be understood as an essay writting in the form of a poem that makes a statement about the importance of subsistence farming to the succes of America as a nation.
I have notes (even though our professor barely taught us anything by getting side tracked by every little thing) so if you need them just ask. I greatly appreciate your help. Thank you!
Hei JaNaye'! :D
Based upon the notes you wrote in class [if you need some further help then I'll gladly read them], make a plan. What are the highlights of the poem, what is so special about it. Also, do a short research on subsistence farming.
I don't know what your teacher expects from you, but to me it appears logical that the farming part should be the main focus of your essay, because ... um, if you were to compare the poem in a whole essay just to that it would get exceptionally boring.
In the intro you must explain what subsistence farming is because someone might not be familiar with the term and might not perfectly understand your comparison.
Your body will introduce this poem to the reader. First of all, you will develop the notion of "subsistence farming" and add to it by explaining how it impacted American economy.
In the next paragraph you will start talking about the poem: what it means, perhaps mention the writer and his background so that it gets a shape. You can then continue by comparing the two.
And then the conclusion will sum everything up.
Now, perhaps you can write a draft and we'll take a look at that. :) Good luck!
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Personal comment:
With regard to the inspiration for the poem, Williams wrote that it
"sprang from affection for an old Negro named Marshall. He had been a fisherman, caught porgies off Gloucester. He used to tell me how he had to work in the hold in freezing weather, standing ankle deep in cracked ice packing down the fish. He said he didn't feel cold. He never felt cold in his life until just recently. I liked that man, and his son Milton almost as much. In his back yard I saw the red wheelbarrow surrounded by the white chickens. I suppose my affection for the old man somehow got into the writing."
Not to be an ass, but this is such a bullshit assignment. How can someone in their right mind ask you to analyze an economic aspect of development by massacring a poem?
Also, your teacher seems to be ignoring the fact that subsistence farming is an agrarian concept that is widespread so why not talk about it in general (and use an appropriate text to do that)? Even nowadays, a lot of countries practice this form of growing economic plants (during the Neolithic Revolution around the equator, Mexico, the Andes, South East Asia, Papua New Guinea, Northern Africa, Latin America; plus, it has disappeared in North America since the '30).
Not to mention that the poem does not refer to this, but, being dedicated to a certain someone admired by the writer, one can deduce that it is about the hard work and the affection the poet had for that person. In the poem I do not see any parallel drawn to farming theories. The warm tone and the sort of stress that lies in some words make me imagine someone looking above the fence in his neighbors garden one rainy day and seeing a man work and feel somewhat ... respectful. Personally, I'd look at this poem on a more "human" scale, and not dissect and assembly it in some manner so it would mirror an agrarian evolution in the "homeland America".
Now, if you don't care about grades, write about whatever this poem makes you FEEL like. A poem shouldn't be something that must affect our rational senses, but it is something emotional. However, if you care about your grades, do whatever your teacher expects you to do, but always, always try to think beyond that. :)