“Williams, as it happens, also lets the vowel of age chime with another word: glaze, which has the same end consonant sound as trees. Later, broken shares a vowel with snow and a consonant with covered and seedhusks—well, it's clumsy work, trying to trace these audible subtleties. I'll just point to the beauty of "the flock has rested,/ the snow/ is covered with broken/ seedhusks"—without trying to describe any further what we hear: The hearing itself is an action of consciousness, a kind of awakening and of keeping.” -Robert Pinsky, from Slate.com
In this commentary, the poet Robert Pinsky remarks on William Carlos Williams’ ability to create a sonically pleasing piece of poetry written entirely in blank verse: that is to say, a poem devoid of end-rhyme. After reading the poem (below) discuss the following:
How has W.C. Williams used language to create interesting sounds? What does this add to the text? Do sonic devices contribute to meaning, or are they parallel to it?
Finally, try to write a sentence that could be used in your personal narrative which employs similar techniques!
"To Waken an Old Lady" by W.C. Williams
Old age is
a flight of small
cheeping birds
skimming
bare trees
above a snow glaze.
Gaining and failing
they are buffeted
by a dark wind—
But what?
On harsh weedstalks
the flock has rested,
the snow
is covered with broken
seedhusks
and the wind tempered
by a shrill
piping of plenty.
Willisams has used language to create interesting sounds. Like Robert said, the vowels can make the poem flow nicely together. The alliteration, "Piping of plenty," enhances the imagery of the birds. However, I don't feel strong that sonic devices really contribute to the meaning of the poem. I do not think they are necessary. In my personal narrative I used the sentence, "The relationship is rather parasitic, destroying my family apart..."
ReplyDeleteWilliams has used created many interesting sonic effects with his choice of words. I really like the effects from assonance and consonance, such as "cheeping birds skimming" and "shrill piping of plenty." These sonic devices don't seem to contribute to the meaning as much as other poetic devices did. For example, in my personal narrative, I have a phrase "to keep persevering." While I don't think the similar sounds in this phrase contribute to the point I am trying to make, they sound well together.
ReplyDeleteWilliam's used sonic devices in his poetry to enhance his writing. One that really stands out to me in this poem is alliteration. The last line which states, "piping of plenty" is a very good example of alliteration. This does not necessarily contribute to the meaning of the poem but it does enhance the sound and flow of the poem. An example of alliteration I could use in my personal narrative could be the cop car cruised by us cautiously.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line in the poem is 'piping of plenty', which uses alliteration and sounds pleasing, and carries on the whimsy of previous lines. It also means contributes to the purpose of the poem. Weedstalks, snow and broken seed husks together have a connotation of desolation and abandonment, but the wind is tempered by a promise of betterment and hope, a piping of plenty. A line in my narrative that uses this kind of figurative language to create nice sounds is, "There’s a certain something about knowing in your heart the thing that you want is beyond your reach, and then finding it thrust in your face in all its golden glory, even brighter than you remember."
ReplyDeleteThe sounds and rhythms in this poem are very unique. Although the lines are very short, the poem flows together very well, and it is almost relaxing to hear it spoken out loud. I especially like the lines, "Gaining and failing, they are buffeted, by a dark wind—" These words create an interesting sound and make the lines interesting. I think that sonic devices add to meaning of a poem, and make the lines rich and more conveying.
ReplyDeleteWilliams used imagery to enhance this piece. In my personal opinion, you want to make the person feel what your saying. If your scared in the poem, make the reader feel scared. If it's happy, make the reader happy. This poem makes me feel old, which is what it may or may not be going for. The sonic devices and adjectives are parallel and very evenly placed throughout the poem. -Jesse Nathan
ReplyDeletei think the devices are parallel because they both do different things. i think its adds wounder to the poem, while you read it and think you understand what is being said it makes you go back and think, could it be deeper, or am i just on the surface of the poem reading.what he wants me to read. the language is sorta basic to me, when i read it over without thinking its just basic words to me. im not sure of sentence, maybe: tall, stalkings, walking tall in cornfields, let me know how that sounds to you guys reading this, no hate,
ReplyDeletetylor angers
Williams does a great job at using these literary devices to enhance the journey that is his poem. One example is when he uses the p sound over and over in his line "shrill pipping of plenty".
ReplyDeleteThe line itself doesn't add a tremendous amount of meaning but it makes the poem more enjoyable. This allows for the poem to be read more and more meaning being extracted.
Delete-Jarod George
Williams uses literary devices in this poem to make it sound more pleasing. I don't think that, while the devices make the poem sound more pleasing, they do not contribute to the actual meaning of the poem. I enjoy the use of vowel sounds in the line"gaining and failing". I can use these literary devices in my personal narrative such as the line "The fish ate the bait"
ReplyDelete-Brayden Jarnagin
Williams has used alliteration and assonance to make certain words more dramatic and catchy. It adds a certain flow to his text that not only sticks with the reader, but also makes it more distinctive in the overall poem. Sonic devices can help a poem or text if they are used appropriately. Too many in one sentence will most likely ruin the message/ tone that is trying to be shown. An example for my story, ' bartenders bring bottles of beer '
ReplyDelete-Moriah Calfin
Literary devices such as alliteration can subtly enhance writing and peak a reader's interest without them consciously knowing. I find that most alliterations can add a flow and smooth-ness to writing and at first glance, many people don't recognize them. Williams utilizes this trick when he says, "they are Buffeted/By a dark wind—/But what?" The repetition of the 'B' sound creates a nice flow within the poem. Alliteration does not have to be one word right after the other, but slightly spread out so it sounds less forced. In my story, I could say "the beautiful fountain bubbled and gleamed in the bright morning sun." An alliteration is still used, but it is more subtle and spread out.
ReplyDeleteWilliams has created used language that makes it sound as it the poem is going up and down at least twice and then at the end abruptly back down. The way it was written also emphasizes the s sound making it sort of pop or stick out from the other hard consonant sounds. This adds more variety to the overall sound and composition of the piece. Sonic devices definitely do contribute to meaning in how it brings out the more important lines in the poem. Example: The slippery snake slithered stopping seemingly safely at a salt-n-pepa show.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is very unique in the way that it has such subtle but meaningful words used in it. The line that helps to make imagery evident in his poem is the line that states, "Old age is a flight of small cheeping birds skimming bare trees above a snow glaze. I believe that sonic devices do contribute to the meaning, because through the sounds, imagery is created, allowing there to be room for interpretation from the reader. I haven't yet put sonic devices in my narrative, but after reading the poem and seeing the benefits that sonic devices has on someone's writing, I will start to use them more often when trying to enhance my pieces of writing.
ReplyDeleteI like how William created a simple and short poem, but making it powerful. The use of sounds and alliteration make the poem stronger. I agree with Brittany when she uses the example, " Old age is a flight of small cheeping birds skimming bare trees above a snow glaze" The sounds and language used by William create imagery that really made me think about what was going on. The language 'skimming' and 'cheeping' are his way of making sounds, which I think is great. I do not think that sonic devices really contribute to the meaning in my opinion but it makes the poem a little more interesting. In my personal narrative I can use other poetic devices to contribute to the meaning.
ReplyDeleteThe use of sonic devices in poetry is to add more fluidity and emphasis to certain phrases, similar to an alliteration would. An example of this would be how Williams uses "pipping of plenty" to make the phrase resonate with the reader more. When sonic devices are used correctly like they are in this poem, the words carry greater emphasis and meaning.
ReplyDeleteI think the simplicity of W.C. Williams made his writing more effective and unique. The unique structure of his poems attracted an audience and led him to success. I think that the sonic devices that he used contributed to the imagery more than the overall meaning of the poem, and is a good way to be descriptive in a creative way. I don't think using sonic devices will help me in my personal narrative but i think they can be very useful in other forms of writing, like poetry.
ReplyDeleteWilliams used sonic devices in his poetry to enhance his writing. In the last line he says, "shrill piping of plenty." This being a good example as the sound of the P is repeated. This is example in particular, does not contribute much to the over all meaning of the poem, but it enhances the flow of the poem and makes the line more pleasing to the ear. In my personal narrative i can use poetic devices to help engage the reader into my writing, and contribute also to the meaning.
ReplyDelete-Callie Anderson
I have found this writing to be fluid and understandable because he has a unique way of writing. I really enjoyed the line where he used alliteration in the line “piping of plenty”. It made the reader pay attention to it. However, I personally, do not like using this as much because I feel as though it distracts the reader from the poem and takes away from the meaning. If I had to incorporate this in my narrative I could say something like, “The doughnut does not disguise what I really want it to be.”
ReplyDelete-Shelby Desmarais
The sounds Williams uses creates powerful imagery. Imagery gives a creates a strong picture which is driven into the readers head in order for them to understand the author more. Williams also used alliteration in order to convey the meaning of his poem in a more flowful way. I agree with Jarod, that a good example of alliteration in this poem is "piping of plenty". An example of alliteration I can use in my personal narrative is "hilarious, horrendous, and high-pitched shriek".
ReplyDelete-jackson pollio
The words Williams uses are effective because they all seem so different. For example, "Old age is a flight of small cheeping birds skimming bare trees above a snow glaze." He compares old age to something that is not really similar to old age in any way. The contrast between the descriptions produce a vivid picture and somehow do a great good describing what old age is. Also, the simplicity through out the whole poem adds an emphasis on the importance of every word he used. There are no words in the poem that Williams used that he did not pick out carefully. What I can take from Williams example is to be picky about what words I include and that you don't need an abundance of words to tell a story effectively. Sometimes simple is better.
ReplyDeleteWilliams utilizes many language techniques to add interesting sounds and smoothness to his pieces. A prominent technique in this poem is alliteration. It can be seen in the line, "piping of plenty."
ReplyDeleteThis alliteration is good and adds to the writing because it sounds nice to the ear. However it is not a blatantly obvious alliteration that goes on for a whole sentence. So Williams' writing sounds nice and well put together without the reader even having to be aware of all the subtleties in the writing. These language techniques do not add meaning to the writing but makes it sound well composed. In my personal narrative an example of alliteration could be, " The sweltering room of spectators."
-Alex Girard
While W. C. Williams uses many sonic devices in his poem "To Waken an Old Lady" such as assonance, consonance and alliteration, the alliteration stood out to me the most. I like how he ended his poem with the line "piping of plenty". The alliteration of the letter 'P' made the ending of the poem more interesting and unique. I enjoy writing when the devices used are more obvious, which is why I was drawn to the alliteration. In my own writing, I could use a sentence such as "No secret was waiting when I stumbled down the secluded hallway after school before volleyball practice and opened the squeaky, unused door." The repetition of the 's' sound gives the sentence a more creative sound compared to if I had simply said "Nothing was there when I walked down the hallway."
ReplyDelete~Kali Mondor
W.C. Williams' poem "To Waken an Old Lady" contains May sonic devices used to contribute to a poem's meaning. One example of assonance that stood out to me in his poem was "On harsh weeds talks the flock has rested". Williams' use of sonic frequent sonic devices enhances and adds emphasis to the line immediately following the break in repetition. This emphasis helps the poet convey the overall the meaning to the poem. The sonic devices in this poem do not parallel, but instead contribute to the meaning of the poem. An example of assonance I could use in my narrative is "The hands of the clock seemed to stop, leaving me longing for a simple "tick-tock".
ReplyDeleteOne example of conssonance in W.C. Williams' poem is the last line when he writes "piping of plenty". This is an example because the words both share the sharp p sound. I feel that the sonic devices are put in parralel to the meaning of the poem, making it more pleasurable to read while not getting in the way of the meaning. An example I could use for my narrative is "I quickly climbed up and I was a champion."
ReplyDeleteWilliams liked using alliterations in this poem. The same sounding parts of words, in pronunciation, are alliterations. Two examples of him doing so was when his poem stated, "piping of plenty" and "gaining and failing." The former is using a consonant alliteration and the latter is using a vowel sounding alliteration. These are used to draw attention to a specific theme or purpose in a story/poem. In my story I could write "I had to start far from the woman" or "She put of a chase, carriages created hazards on the trail to her."
ReplyDelete-Andrew Winter
W.C. Williams uses alliteration in his poem. an example of this is "piping of plenty." this adds and interesting sound to the end of the poem. I believe sonic devices do add meaning to writing because it gives the reader and interesting way to look at your story. In my personal narrative I would use alliteration describing my summer, such as: " The scorching sun"
ReplyDeleteWilliams uses sonic devices to make his poem flow better. I don't feel that these sonic devices change the meaning of the poem, but they do make it more interesting to read, and add emphasis on certain phrases, like the last line when he uses consonence, "piping of plenty." I could use this in my personal narrative by saying "furiously, I flew forwards."
ReplyDeleteWilliams uses a lot of alliteration in this poem, for example, the last line. "A piping of plenty", he says. It was a nice way for him to wrap it up, and all in all it's a good thing to have in your writing because it sounds good when you hear it. An example of this in my narrative could be "it was a very clamorous crash."
ReplyDelete~Brian Fischer
In this poem, Williams uses these sonic devices to make the Poem sound better having a better meaning to it. I don't think it really changes the poem all that much it just has a different sound to it when he incorporates these tones to it. But this does make it a more interesting read for me ad least like how he uses above a snow glazed
ReplyDeleteWilliam Carlos Williams used language in a creative way to make and easy to read poem that is interesting to read. The use of alliteration was evident when he said “Piping of plenty” in the last line, which is a sonic device. The sonic devices in the poem enhance the difficulty of the poem. Without the sonic devices the poem would be a list of random words and phrases, but with them it has a smooth flow and rhythm with the help of alliteration and consonance. A sentence I could put into my personal narrative that uses alliteration is “The broken cry from the bathroom because of baby teeth.”
ReplyDelete-Courtney Kenny
The sonic devices used by W.C. Williams contribute to the meaning of the poem to create a unique perspective on what could possibly be less interesting words. By using these devices, and using interesting language to enhance the poem, it becomes more exciting to read and creates unique imagery. He uses alliteration to enhance the experience of reading the poem as well. He does this to not only just be reading poetry, but to get the reader engaged by adding things that sound interesting when read aloud. For my narrative, I could replace normal words with different, unique words to add interest to the imagery and sound of my narrative.
ReplyDeleteIn this poem W.C. Williams uses his word choice to make his poem sound more like a song than a poem. The words flow together in a way that makes it easier to read both out loud and in your head. In his poem W.C.W. uses alliteration with the line "Piping of plenty". In my narrative I used "cascading curls crippled my sight as I cringed against the wall".
ReplyDeleteUsing a literary device like alliteration can subtly enhance a poem or piece of writing and make it easier to comprehend. He pairs up somewhat unrelated words to create phrases that stick in the reader's head. Unique images make a more lasting impression in the reader's mind, versus something generic or cliche. I believe sonic devices are part of the meaning of a piece of writing. The devices enhance the meaning through connotation rather they stating it explicitly. In my personal narrative, I could say something like "The teddy bear tore at me with a terrifying frown."
ReplyDelete--Emma Fleuette
Williams uses alliteration and assonance to further enhance his poem. By incorporating these devices into the poem, it makes the words flow better and makes it easier for the reader. I think that the use of sonic devices do contribute to the meaning of the poem. They allow for the reader to create an image in their mind while reading the words. In my personal narrative I could say, “The nurses nabbed the needles from the counter and injected the steroid into my arm.”
ReplyDelete~ Charlotte Dyer
Williams uses alliteration to enhance the sound and flow of his poem. An example of this is "piping of plenty". It made his poem sound more fun and it sticks in the reader's minds. I personally think that alliteration adds a lot to people's writing. In my personal narrative, I could write: " The crazed children chased each other around the corner to get the candy".
ReplyDeleteWilliams uses the alliterations to enhance the audio appeal of the poem. I am not sure if this really affects the content positively or negatively, but it makes it flow more smoothly. One specific example in his poem includes 'Pipping of plenty'. One way I could include alliteration in my narrative is "The blood pumps to my face, pulsing in my ears, pushing my heartbeat faster."
ReplyDelete~Kate Heaney
Williams uses alliteration and other devices to tremendously improve the flow of the poem. I believe that this helps the poem substantially. The flow in this poem is excellent and it is extremely easy for a person to read. He uses the line " Piping of plenty" which is nice to say and really helps the flow. I could use some alliteration such as "The puck perfectly pierced the netting."
ReplyDeleteThe author uses sonic devices to enhance the poem and make it more interesting. For example in the last line he says “piping of plenty” using alliteration to tie up the poem. I do not think that sonic devices are necessary to make any point, but are great ways to further enhance a piece of writing. Just like the author used alliteration improve the imagery. In my story I used personification to make the writing better, “A million and one thoughts rushed through my head at once…” saying that thoughts “rushed” through my head was not necessary to make the point but it improved the writing.
ReplyDelete-Michael Robicheau
Williams uses language to make his poem flow and sound pleasing to the reader. He uses phrases such as "And the wind tempered, by a shrill, piping of plenty". The combination of the different sounds of wind tempered and by a shrill compliment each other very nicely. Also, I liked that Williams closed with alliteration, although it was subtle, because it wrapped up the end in a pleasing way that worked really well. I don't think that this language is extremely important for poems, but it definitely improved the way it sounded.
ReplyDelete-Anna Smith
Williams uses different quality descriptive details to enhance the sounds in his poem. He adds these descriptive details to make the reader picture a better scene by imagining all of the different actions those descriptive details make.The sonic devices contribute a lot to the meaning of this poem and it doesn't seem like they are randomly added into the poem. A line i could use would be when i am stuck in the crowd of people saying. "The lrge shadows of people keep me protected from the shining summer sun.
ReplyDeleteWilliams uses sonic devices to subtly draw the reader’s attention to different aspects of the poem that they might otherwise overlook. Also, this adds to the way that the lines are read, which can change the mood of the poem slightly. Occasionally sonic devices can contribute meaning by emphasizing specific and important things, but other times it simply makes the poem flow nicely. An example that employs similar techniques of William's “To Waken an Old Lady” is, "The decorated masks playfully mocked us as we walked through the cobblestoned streets".
ReplyDelete~Lauren Kaltsas
The sonic devices used by Williams are a great emphasis upon the sound of the poem. He uses them to allow parts of the poem to stick in the readers head. The best is the alliteration at the end of the poem. An example of how this would go into my personal narrative would be "the ferocious fire spread through the floor, cracking and popping as it devoured the building."
ReplyDeleteWilliams uses many sonic devices in his poetry that make his writing better. The sonic devices so a good job in making the poem flow together nicely, and be more pleasing to the reader. I like when he says "piping of plenty" because the alliteration is pleasing to me. The sonic device can really add an effect to the poem very easily. In my personal narrative, I have used poetic devices to engage the reader in the poem and add effect.
ReplyDelete