The Full Text of “This Is Just To Say”
The Full Text of “This Is Just To Say”
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“This Is Just To Say” Introduction
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“This Is Just To Say” Summary
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“This Is Just To Say” Themes
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Temptation, Guilt, and Simple Pleasures
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-12
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “This Is Just To Say”
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Lines 1-4
I have eaten ...
... the icebox -
Lines 5-8
and which ...
... for breakfast -
Lines 9-12
Forgive me ...
... and so cold
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“This Is Just To Say” Symbols
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The Plums
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Lines 1-8
- Lines 10-12
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“This Is Just To Say” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Apostrophe
Where apostrophe appears in the poem:- Lines 1-12
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Enjambment
Where enjambment appears in the poem:- Lines 1-2: “eaten / the”
- Lines 2-3: “plums / that”
- Lines 3-4: “in / the”
- Lines 5-6: “which / you”
- Lines 6-7: “probably / saving”
- Line 8: “for”
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Consonance
Where consonance appears in the poem:- Line 1
- Line 2
- Line 3
- Line 4
- Line 5
- Line 6
- Line 7
- Line 8
- Line 9
- Line 10
- Line 11
- Line 12
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Imagery
Where imagery appears in the poem:- Lines 10-12: “they were delicious / so sweet / and so cold”
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Diacope
Where diacope appears in the poem:- Line 11: “so”
- Line 12: “so”
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“This Is Just To Say” 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.
- Icebox
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(Location in poem: )
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “This Is Just To Say”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“This Is Just To Say” Speaker
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“This Is Just To Say” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “This Is Just To Say”
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More “This Is Just To Say” Resources
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External Resources
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Williams Reads the Poem — Listen to this recording of William Carlos Williams reading "This Is Just To Say" to a live audience.
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Adam Driver Recites The Poem — Watch the actor Adam Driver talk about William Carlos Williams and read "This Is Just To Say" in a scene from the 2016 film "Paterson."
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The Poet's Life — Learn more about William Carlos Williams in this overview of his life and work.
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Imagism — For more information about the Imagist movement, take a look at this short guide.
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The Paris Review Interview — Check out The Paris Review's interview with William Carlos Williams, who was the sixth poet they interviewed in their long-running "Art of Poetry" interview series.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by William Carlos Williams
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