Blog #25: Poetry Response #5

Lily Sale

Sort Of A Song By: William Carlos Williams

The first stanza of Williams work is a comparison. He compares a snake waiting for prey, to writing. But Williams does not use the usual “like or as” or even really your basic metaphor to compare. He states, “Let the snake wait under his weed and the writing be of words, slow and quick, sharp to strike, quiet to wait sleepless.” He describes all the characteristics of a snake ready to prey, but says, “Let the snake wait under his weed.” He somewhat pushes the snake aside and gives all the snakes qualities to a piece of writing.  The second stanza I had to read several times. It starts with a dash, and contains parenthesis within, a different complexity than the first stanza. This incomplete structure and strange punctuation helps me understand the title of the poem. It’s  like notes in  a song. All of the words in this poem sort of flow of the tongue pretty easily as well just like a song! The meaning of the second stanza I believe Williams is trying to portray is simply the connection between nature and the creative process of writing, this meaning was apparent in the first stanza as well. “-through the metaphor to reconcile the people and the stones. Compose.” this is very clear to the reader. Consider similarities between people and stones, and write about it! “(No ideas but in things) Invent!” Williams is pushing his audience to see and think more about nature and people. And Williams last line, my favorite line, “Saxifrage is my flower that splits the rocks.” Now I had to look up saxifrage, but it is a flower that only grows in rocky alpine areas and still looks delicate. But nothing grows through rocks without being strong. He compares a flower (nature) to himself (person), again his underlying theme. This theme of comparing nature to man, or even comparing nature to the process of writing seems quite clear to me now. And my mind goes a million directions with all the comparisons that could potentially be made. I think Williams wanted us to think that, again especially when he says, “(No ideas but in things) Invent!”