I have almost finished my poetry project and have completed 8 poems. I started working on my 9th poem –“This is Just to Say” by: William Carlos Williams; however, I am having a particularly hard time with this poem, for the simple fact that Williams usually crams tons of meaning into simple images, leaving small, subtle hints that lead to the true meaning behind his words.
This Is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
William Carlos Williams (1934)
First of all, it seems the narrator of the poem has betrayed the trust of someone close to him. He ate the plums even though he knew someone wanted to use them for breakfast. This not only shows very little respect for the desires of those around him, but also demonstrates very little willpower, almost as if the plums were so enticing he had no power to say no. Such lack of willpower almost seems sexual, although I do not necessarily see much evidence to support this assertion.
In addition, I attempted to analyze the connotation of plums in the poem. Why would Williams select this fruit over others? Plums are very soft a juicy on the outside; however, at the center, they have an impenetrable, painful-to-chew pit. This almost seems comparable to the narrator, who on the surface appears innocent and childlike –slyly eating a plumb. Yet, upon closer inspection, he appears to have a darker, more forceful, and more sexual persona. Like the shunned, hidden, and disliked pit of a peach, these qualities in the narrator are hidden from the world because few would openly condone such characteristics in a person. The dictionary also states that a plum is a highly desired position or award. By eating someone’s plums, the narrator could have almost prevented a person from achieving or receiving something they really wanted, as if he was literally taking away their plum or desired position.
It is also interesting to note that the narrator demands forgiveness; he does not ask for it, but rather asserts, “Forgive me.” I think this furthers my above observations that the narrator is an extremely forceful, possible violent person. He first takes away something useful from someone close to him, both literally and figuratively, and then does not apologize but rather demands forgiveness. This assertion seems rather abusive, suggesting a highly dangerous relationship.
Finally, the last two lines seem to confirm the above sentiment. At first, Williams says the plums are very “sweet,” as is true for many beginning relationships during the first few weeks. However, he ends with saying that the plums are very “cold,” which is what his relationship with the unspoken person has turned into –cold, violent, and abusive. By not ending the poem with punctuation, Williams suggest that this violence and abuse will not come to an end anytime soon and that the narrator will continue to take his beloved’s plums.
If you see any more important aspects of the poem, please tell me. Many of my assertions are conjectures, and I need more evidence to back them up. I am also unsure as to how to approach the title.
No comments:
Post a Comment