Spring Storm

“The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams (1938)

This poem is considered the most famous written by Williams and is often referenced as an example of the core principles of Imagism. Consisting of only eight lines and one complete sentence, “The Red Wheelbarrow” is a great place to start when learning about Modernism, Imagism, and Williams’s poetic sensibilities. This poem’s simple structure and use of language and imagery also makes it a good introduction to poetry for young readers.

“The Widow’s Lament in Springtime” by William Carlos Williams (1921)

“The Widow’s Lament in Springtime” relates strongly to “Spring Storm” in content, form, and focus. Both poems were published in the same collection in 1921 and are representative of Williams’s early style.

“Flowers by the Sea” by William Carlos Williams (1938)

Like “The Red Wheelbarrow,” this poem serves as a good introduction to Williams’s place in the literary canon. Second only to “The Red Wheelbarrow,” this poem is the most remembered of Williams’ works. The two poems were originally published in the same collection in 1938.

“A Supermarket in California” by Allen Ginsberg (1984)

One of the more remarkable things about William Carlos Williams is his role as friend and mentor to many other Modernist and Postmodernist American poets. Williams was a mentor to Allen Ginsberg, another New Jersey-born American poet, and although “A Supermarket in California” was written many decades after “Spring Storm,” Williams’s influence makes an obvious impact on Ginsberg’s style.