The Red Wheelbarrow Essay

Rachna Shah

5th Hour In the modern industrialized age, man has begun to define himself as the dominant shaper of the world, elevating himself above nature. Williams, however, is critical of this decision, and urges man to remember his roots. In “The Red Wheelbarrow,” Williams suggests that nature remains the backbone of American industry. His use of pastoral imagery, fragmented structure, and contrasts of nature combine to reveal the poem’s dominant message: nature and man must co-exist. Williams conveys that nature has largely been forgotten by man through the use of pastoral imagery. The structure of the poem creates three separate images - the “red wheelbarrow,” the “white chickens,” and the blue “rain water.” By creating a patriotic

Its broken structure mirrors our disintegrated society, which has come about as the result of a manmade division between himself and nature. Instead, Williams suggests that our future is dependent on their co-existence. The structure of the poem being a cumulative sentence reinforces this message. Because the sentence is cumulative, its meaning is delayed; as a result, the entire poem is dependent on each subsequent line. The alternation between long and short lines in each couplet results in the first line of each couplet being dependent upon the second, as well. This conveys that each image created in the poem is significant, reinforcing William’s message that both man and nature are important, and that nature is essential to mankind. In addition, while William uses enjambment to join the “wheel” and “barrow,” he clearly divides the word through the couplet’s fragmented structure. In breaking apart the word wheelbarrow, each component is emphasized. The wheel is a reminder of a perpetual cycle beyond man’s control. The “barrow” is connotative of death, and is used to reinforce Williams’ concern that the American farm has become a tomb. By breaking apart the very basis of agricultural success - the wheelbarrow - Williams conveys that the farm is no longer what it used to be, due to man’s desertion of