William is a physician who maintains a pediatric practice at Passaic General Hospital near Rutherford, New Jersey. Alongside his forty-year medical career, he writes poetry that focuses on direct observations of his immediate environment. He rejects traditional poetic rhythms and complex themes in favor of simple, conversational language. He personally helps finance the publication of his 1921 collection, Sour Grapes.

Ezra is an influential poet pushing for a reinvention of literature through the Modernist and Imagist movements. He resides primarily in Europe and provides critical supervision for other major literary figures. He advocates for clean, direct images in poetry without heavy moralizing.

T. S. Eliot is an ambitious writer who crafts intellectually complex works. His poetry focuses on the moral aridity of Western civilization rather than simple, everyday objects. His style represents the esoteric modernism that Williams actively rejects.

Walt Whitman is a foundational American poet known for his unironic delight in the world. He writes using free verse and complex conversational rhythms. He passes away twenty years before Williams begins publishing, but his approach to capturing the spiritual intensity of everyday life serves as a model for the next generation.

Chestnut + Hazel is an online content creator who records brief poetry readings, including Old Testament Psalms and works by early twentieth-century poets. They post a 24-second reading of Williams's poem set against a painting of a sterling tea set.