This
Is Just To Say
by William
Carlos Williams
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
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PART 1:
ReplyDeleteThe speaker of the poem uses first person, and addresses the owner of “the plums that were in the icebox” (Williams). Because the speaker references an icebox, this poem appears to be set in a kitchen. In addition, the poet uses the literary device of imagery. For example, the lines, “they were delicious / so sweet / and so cold,” provide sensory details that help the reader imagine how the plums taste and feel. The use of imagery enhances the poem by highlighting the value of the plums; without it, the poem would be boring and the reader would be left wondering why the plums matter.
PART 2:
“This Is Just To Say,” by William Carlos Williams, is a short poem about someone who eats plums that belong to someone else. The mood of the poem appears to be humorous because in the third stanza, the speaker says, “and which / you were probably / saving / for breakfast” (Williams). It may not be funny to the person whose plums were eaten, but to an objective reader, it is comical to think about the speaker gloating about the tastiness of his crime. These lines may be read matter-of-factly; however, in such a short poem it is hard to imagine that the speaker is confessing true feelings of guilt. Therefore, the poem makes the reader laugh. On a similar note, the speaker’s tone is somewhat sarcastic. Yes, he apologizes: “Forgive me / they were delicious […]” (Williams). But reminding the victim of the delight he takes in eating the plums shows that the speaker does not feel much remorse. The theme of this poem is evident in the last stanza: “Forgive me / they were delicious / so sweet / and so cold” (Williams). The poem is about temptation, and the speaker admits to succumbing to the temptation of the forbidden fruit. Overall, this poem is short yet powerful. The speaker may be poking fun at his trivial crime, but perhaps this shows that people are willing to break rules when temptation is too sweet to resist.
PART 3:
This happens to be one of my favorite poems. I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of its words, especially in the first stanza: “I have eaten / the plums / that were in / the icebox” (Williams). These lines are direct and easy to understand. However, the poem leaves me wondering, which is stronger: your will or the power of temptation?