Brittany P Ashley K

Thesis  William Carlos Williams uses religion in the poem because he wants to show the reader a form spiritual visualization and ignorance. “They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”  —Jesus, Matthew 15:14JesusMatthew 15:14

Overall Interpretation  The poem is explaining a painting “across the canvas” “where the picture and the composition ends”  The picture as well as the poem are trying to explain that when you follow ignorant people down a path, you also will fall “one follows the others stick in hand triumphant disaster”

Meaning and language  Allegory - “cottage is seen and a church spire”  Allusion - “beggars”  Diction - Uses hard consonants through the poem “diagonally downward”  Mood - Somber (Gloomy, shadowy, dull)  Point of view - Third person “group of beggars leading”  Theme - Follow ignorance and you will fall “stick in hand triumphant to disaster”  Tone - Informative

Senses: imagery and symbols  Imagery- Visual throughout the entire poem “stumble finally into a bog”  Symbols: Red – danger Church spire – Faith Basin – Humbleness “without a red” – because don’t feel they have anything to fear by following

Style  Oxymoron- “horrible but superb painting” “triumphant to disaster”  Satire- “Pitiful possessions”  Stream of consciousness- Explaining the poem

Form, organization, and pattern  Enjambment- no punctuation  Pattern- three lines in each stanza  Repetition- Two oxymoron's “horrible but superb painting” “triumphant to disaster”  *clusters all of his images into a different stanza

Sound  Alliteration- “diagonally downward” “pitiful possessions”  Consonance- A lot of hard consonants

Activity  Write your own short poem/description about these two pictures  (5mins)

Connection to poems  Landscape with the fall of icarus  Peasant wedding  Lament in springtime  Spring and all

Conclusion  In conclusion William Carlos Williams uses his poem to show you a parable that is when you follow ignorant people you will fall too, he also ties in religious aspects into his work.