Even as William Carlos Williams was publishing his most Imagistic poems—such as "The Red Wheelbarrow"—in the 1920s, he was already moving away from the ideas of the movement and creating his own complex style. Read one of his later and more complicated works below.
![By Bohemian Baltimore (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cms.accelerate-ed.com/image/e6c9e89a-4f38-49e1-b3d3-0349598cda58.jpg)
Queen Anne's Lace
Her body is not so white as
anemone petals nor so smooth—nor
so remote a thing. It is a field
of the wild carrot taking
the field by force; the grass
does not raise above it.
Here is no question of whiteness,
white as can be, with a purple mole
at the center of each flower.
Each flower is a hand's span
of her whiteness. Wherever
his hand has lain there is
a tiny purple blossom under his touch
to which the fibres of her being
stem one by one, each to its end,
until the whole field is a
white desire, empty, a single stem,
a cluster, flower by flower,
a pious wish to whiteness gone over—
or nothing.
Williams was an excellent gardener, and he grew a variety of different flowers near his home. What do you think the flowers in this poem represent?
How do the poem's images work together to develop its themes?
- The image of "wild carrot" presents a contrast to the idea of domesticity.
- The field reflects the challenges faced in many relationships.
- The man's hands represent an opposing force to the roots in the ground.
- The flowers reflect the complex relationship between desire and purity.
The flowers, in their white and purple forms, represent either the woman's "pure" body or the desire of the man's touch, or both at once.
The flowers, in their white and purple forms, represent either the woman's "pure" body or the desire of the man's touch, or both at once.
The flowers, in their white and purple forms, represent either the woman's "pure" body or the desire of the man's touch, or both at once.
The flowers, in their white and purple forms, represent either the woman's "pure" body or the desire of the man's touch, or both at once.
Which word presents the starkest contrast to the early symbolism of the white flowers?
- pious
- stem
- touch
- remote
The white flowers at first represent the purity of the woman's body. Then, the man's hands touch her and create purple blossoms that represent his desire.
The white flowers at first represent the purity of the woman's body. Then, the man's hands touch her and create purple blossoms that represent his desire.
The white flowers at first represent the purity of the woman's body. Then, the man's hands touch her and create purple blossoms that represent his desire.
The white flowers at first represent the purity of the woman's body. Then, the man's hands touch her and create purple blossoms that represent his desire.
Which literary device does Williams rely on most in this poem?
- allusion
- metaphor
- archetype
- understatement
This poem mostly focuses on fields, plants, and flowers as metaphors for the erotic interactions between a man and a woman.
This poem mostly focuses on fields, plants, and flowers as metaphors for the erotic interactions between a man and a woman.
This poem mostly focuses on fields, plants, and flowers as metaphors for the erotic interactions between a man and a woman.
This poem mostly focuses on fields, plants, and flowers as metaphors for the erotic interactions between a man and a woman.
How is this poem different from William Carlos Williams' earlier, more Imagist poems?
- Its theme is conveyed through figurative rather than literal language.
- It returns to more traditional poetic forms and more literary subjects.
- It avoids creating the vivid verbal pictures of his earlier poems.
- It uses more simple and predictable syntax than most of his earlier poems.
Unlike an Imagist poem, "Queen Anne's Lace" develops a variety of images into a complex metaphor. Williams' more Imagist works, like "The Red Wheelbarrow," were more restrained and single-minded in their focus.
Unlike an Imagist poem, "Queen Anne's Lace" develops a variety of images into a complex metaphor. Williams' more Imagist works, like "The Red Wheelbarrow," were more restrained and single-minded in their focus.
Unlike an Imagist poem, "Queen Anne's Lace" develops a variety of images into a complex metaphor. Williams' more Imagist works, like "The Red Wheelbarrow," were more restrained and single-minded in their focus.
Unlike an Imagist poem, "Queen Anne's Lace" develops a variety of images into a complex metaphor. Williams' more Imagist works, like "The Red Wheelbarrow," were more restrained and single-minded in their focus.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
Queen Anne's Lace
Her body is not so white as
anemone petals nor so smooth—nor
so remote a thing. It is a field
of the wild carrot taking
the field by force; the grass
does not raise above it.
Here is no question of whiteness,
white as can be, with a purple mole
at the center of each flower.
Each flower is a hand's span
of her whiteness. Wherever
his hand has lain there is
a tiny purple blossom under his touch
to which the fibres of her being
stem one by one, each to its end,
until the whole field is a
white desire, empty, a single stem,
a cluster, flower by flower,
a pious wish to whiteness gone over—
or nothing.
