1883-1963

William Carlos Williams is a favorite poet for many people, and I am no exception. When I was in college discovering my love of American literature, one of the first writers I connected with was Williams. His work is instantly relatable and lacks the pretense that can make poetry seem pompous. He uses simple language to convey a moment, an idea. I’ve tried to keep that in mind when I write ever since. Sometimes, I feel like I need to bulk up a poem with references and ten dollar words, mostly in an attempt to show people that I do in fact know how to make those references and how to use those words. But it’s the simplicity that makes William Carlos Williams’ so well-loved, and it is what I most want to emulate of his work.  The above is just a sampling of my favorites. For more, pick up a book of his work or check out this article that contains a few additional poems.

William Carlos Williams / Poetry Foundation

(Thoughts On Humans #45)

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