“The Red Wheelbarrow” Introduction

• Read the full text of “The Red Wheelbarrow”

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Summary

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Themes

• 

  Sentimentality and Everyday Objects

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.
• 

  Nature, Civilization, and Agriculture

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.
• 

  Perception and Reality

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Red Wheelbarrow”

• Lines 1-2

  so much depends
  upon

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 3-4

  a red wheel
  barrow

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 5-6

  glazed with rain
  water

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 7-8

  beside the white
  chickens

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Symbols

• 

  The Red Wheelbarrow

  • See where this symbol appears in the poem.

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Assonance

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Extended Metaphor

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Imagery

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Consonance

  

  

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Upon
• Wheelbarrow
• Glazed

• • See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Red Wheelbarrow”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Speaker

“The Red Wheelbarrow” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “The Red Wheelbarrow”

More “The Red Wheelbarrow” Resources

• External Resources

  • The Poem Out Loud — A short clip in which William Carlos Williams reads "The Red Wheelbarrow."

  • William Carlos Williams's Life and Legacy — Biographical information about William Carlos Williams from the Poetry Foundation.

  • What Is Imagism? — A brief history and explanation of the Imagist movement, provided by Poets.org.

  • Poets on the Poem — An episode of "Poem Talk," a podcast hosted by Al Filreis, in which he and other poets (Charles Bernstein, Bob Grenier, and Bob Perelman) discuss "The Red Wheelbarrow" and other work by William Carlos Williams. 

  • Inspiration for "The Red Wheelbarrow" — A New York Times article discussing the quite literal red wheelbarrow (and its owner) that inspired the poem.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by William Carlos Williams

  • Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

  • Raleigh Was Right

  • Spring and All (By the road to the contagious hospital)

  • The Widow's Lament in Springtime

  • This Is Just To Say