Unit 1 Project

Monrada Teewunda
1209
Happiness comes from simplicity

In “Danse Russe,” and “To A Poor Old Woman,” William Carlos Williams uses

imagery and line break to expose the theme of happiness comes from simplicity. The first

poem, “Danse Russe,” he writes from his experience. It is about himself in the morning when

his wife, baby, and Kathleen, who is babysitter, are sleeping. Then, it is his private time. In

addition, the poem is also about his private life because he is in a time with his family. He

uses the environment around him to write in the poem and it makes the image of his house.

There is two stanzas and 19 lines. He describes about himself in the first stanza and question

to the readers about it in the second stanza. According to the text, “and the sun is a flame-

white disc / in silken mists / above shining trees,--” (line 4-6) he writes it to make the readers

imagine about this house. This is an imagery about the environment of his house. It looks

shady by the trees and the sunlight. “Dance naked, grotesquely / before my mirror / waving

my shirt round my head,” (line 8-10) grotesquely has the similar meaning with odd.

Grotesquely dancing means he is very happy and has not to care about the other things, so he

can do something weird. Again, it is shown in an imagery. “I am lonely, lonely, / I was born

to be lonely / I am best so!” (line 12-14) Lonely implies to the private life. In twelfth and

thirteenth line, he shows he is very lonely. Then, in fourteenth line, he shows that though he

is lonely but he is glad. “If I admire my arms, my face, / my shoulders, flanks, buttocks.”

(line 15-16) The way he admires himself is the way he accepts himself. He suffices in the

things that he has. “Who shall say i am not / the happy genius of my household?” (line 18-19)

From the fifteenth and sixteenth line, if he admires himself, he will be the happy genius.

After he describes about himself in the first stanza. In the second stanza, he asks the reader to

think that though he is lonely but he can happy from admiring himself. Admiring ourselves is

the good and simple start for the happiness.

 Unit 1 Project
Monrada Teewunda
1209
Same as the previous paragraph, “To A Poor Old Woman,” William Carlos Williams

also uses imagery and line break to present the theme of happiness comes from simplicity.

This poem concludes four stanzas and 15 lines. In the second stanza, there is an interesting

line break that makes the different meaning by use the same sentence. Williams writes about

the old woman who he sees along the street. She looks like a poor by her eating. He sees her

eating the plums with happiness. The little things can make someone is happy because the

happiness is not depend on the assets but it depends on what people want. Everybody can

find happiness in their life no matter how rich or poor they are. Like the woman in the poem,

she is happy by eating the plums. This is evidence when Williams states, “munching a plum

on / the street a paper bag / of them in her hand,” (line 1-3) this is the first stanza that make

the imagery of the eating action of the old woman. In the first line, he describes that she is

eating the plum. Then, he gives another information about it that she is eating the plum on the

street. This eating style makes she looks like a poor because people usually do not eat food on

the street. “They taste good to her / They taste good,” (line 4-5) the old woman is eating the

plums. She seems very happy and people around her can feel the happiness from her. The

plums are good tasted to her. As, it is normally a good tasted fruit to many people. “To her.

They taste / good to her,” (line 6-7) there is some difference with the previous line. On sixth

line, He implies the plums maybe only good tasted to the old woman because she is poor and

maybe hungry. The plums maybe not delicious to the other, but it is delicious to the old

woman. However, in the seventh line, Williams thinks it is good to her as she also can have a

good food. “The way she gives herself / to the one half / sucked out in her hand.” (line 9-11)

Like in the first stanza, Williams makes the imagination of her eating action again. He tries to

show her eating style more. “Comforted / a solace of ripe plums,” (line 12-13) the old woman

seems comfort by eating the plums. Comforted and solace have the similar meaning which

means the relieving of grief feeling. Thus, he wants to expose that she seems happier after
 Unit 1 Project
Monrada Teewunda
1209
eating the plums. “Seeming to fill the air / They taste good to her,” (line 14-15) the plums can

fulfill her stomach and loosen her hunger. Williams repeats “They taste good to her” again

because he wants to show that she is really happy by just eating the plums. To be happy with

every simple thing in life is enough as it is.

 Unit 1 Project
Monrada Teewunda
1209
Everyday

If I am outside of the house

the bright sunlight and the trees that got blown
There is a dog directs to me when he sees me
then he lies down
I touch him and he seems like it.
If when the sky is dark
and my sister is in her room
maybe sleep
the closed curtain and only the light
from the light bulbs
with the silence around
there is only the sound of music
or from the video
it is the best time to relax or work.
If I just do what I want to do
something that I relax on
something that I have not to worry.

The happiness will come

and erase the stress of a day out.
 Unit 1 Project
Monrada Teewunda
1209
Reflection

My inspiration of the poem pattern is from “Danse Russe.” The theme of my poem is

the same theme with my Williams’ poem analyzed which is happiness comes from simplicity.

I wrote about the happiness that I can easily have it everyday. First thing is my dog. I really

love pets, especially dogs and rabbits. My dog is not a playful type but it is still a dog which

loves to play with the people. When it sees me in the first time of each day, it will play with

me, after that it will ignore me. Second thing is the silence. I am not actually a quiet person

but when I am in the silence. I always have the new idea, so it makes me think of many

things. I have my silence when my sister goes into her room in the night. These two things

are the example of something that I can relax on and have not to think about the other things.

My happiness will occur from the simple thing which I can do it everyday. Actually, there are

many things that I am happy to do it but these two I can do it everyday.

I used imagery in the poem. It can be found in line 1-2. I tried to describe about the

outside of my house. It is not the night yet because there is the sunlight. Also, in the line 9-

11, it changes to the night. I described inside my house because I want to make an imagery of

the silence. It looks dark around but only have the light in my house. Another device is

enjambment. I want readers to continuously think about it. When I want to write another

topic, I put the period after it to sign that I already end with this topic and start to other topic.

Most of the Williams’ poems are presented in imagery with concrete things. I tried to

use it in my poem but it seems very few of it. He usually writes the poem from the experience

or what he saw, for example, “”To a Poor Old Woman.” The poem is from what I do it

almost everyday. He also uses many of enjambment in poem and I tried to use it in my poem

too. I used the same theme of my poem analyzed. I thought about the simplicity things in my

life that I am happy with. There are many things, not only the two topic that I choose to write.
 Unit 1 Project
Monrada Teewunda
1209
For example, I am glad because my teacher compliment on my work. So, I think that I easily

have a positive feeling and these feeling make me happy in each day.