The Red Wheelbarrow

Gabriel Head                                  “The Red Wheelbarrow”

Bailey 1020

        “The Red Wheelbarrow is a brief poem written in free verse. It is composed of four stanzas broken, with two lines in each stanza. The brief poem is only sixteen words, four in each stanza. Although the poem is short, the shortness of the poem relates the imagery directly to the reader. In “The Red Wheelbarrow”, William Carlos Williams uses imagery to convey his themes of Perseverance, Duty, and Man and Nature.

        In “The Red Wheelbarrow”, Williams coveys a theme of perseverance in his image of the red wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow has been around for thousands of years since the time of the ancient Greeks. Even though the wheelbarrow itself may not be appreciated or taken care, the tool is still useful for humans. Just as most wheelbarrows are, Williams describes to us a wheelbarrow that has been neglected. The wheelbarrow in this poem seems to be unused and left out in the rain. Nevertheless, through its neglect and unused the red wheelbarrow remains standing. Through the elements and neglect the red wheelbarrow perseveres.

        Also in “The Red Wheelbarrow”, we find Williams’s theme of duty. “So much” depends on this particular wheelbarrow. Williams never explains to us exactly what depends on this red wheelbarrow only that it must be more than the load of a normal wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow was a tool invented thousands of years ago, but remains just as useful in modern culture today. The wheelbarrow is used to carry things, hold items, and transport items from one location to another. “The Red Wheelbarrow” reminds us that the wheelbarrow in an invention that has a duty.

        In the increasing world of technological advancements, it is often that with a new advancement an old is left behind. In “The Red Wheelbarrow”, we can see the harmonious relationship that comes from a manmade object and nature. The red wheelbarrow sits unused and neglected in the elements. The rain appears to wash away all its blemishes and make it appear new. The white chickens seem to congregate near the wheelbarrow keeping it company. It seems although man has forgotten about the wheelbarrow, nature has adopted the wheelbarrow and taken it under its wing. It almost appears that the wheelbarrow is now part of nature. By the end of the poem, we become grateful that nature is paying attention to the red wheelbarrow.