What's Everybuggy Reading: Ophelia
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
by Jen Bryant
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
These words are from a very famous poem called “This is Just to Say,” by William Carlos Williams. He was a poet who broke away from tradition by writing about small, ordinary, simple things. He wrote about wheelbarrows, little birds, and firetrucks, and transformed those everyday objects into beautiful, magical poems.
This book tells the story of William’s childhood and his path to becoming a poet. He was a studious, busy little kid who loved to play baseball and write poetry. His parents wanted him to become a doctor, and he did, but he never stopped writing poems.
Did you know that the shape of a poem can be just as important as the words? William spent a lot of time deciding how to shape his poetry.
Here’s the rest of my favorite William Carlos Williams poem:
This is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Look around you—there are ordinary yet magical things everywhere. Try writing a poem about one of them!
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