William Carlos Williams

William Carlos Williams was a poet known for making ordinary items seem extraordinary through his imagery.

William Carlos Williams was a poet known for making ordinary items seem extraordinary through his imagery.

William Carlos Williams was born on September 17, 1883, in Rutherford, New Jersey. With his mother from Puerto Rico and his father from New York, Williams grew up speaking Spanish as well as English and French

Williams' goal with his writing was to reveal the American experience through introspection of seemingly plain or ordinary subjects. His imagistic writing is thought to have sparked the Imagist movement in literature. Drawing from his experiences with his patients as a doctor, Williams incorporates American idioms and urban colloquialisms into his poetry. His writing is deceptively casual, as readers have come to know that his words mean more than they appear to. Williams is also considered a visual poet, as he was just as aware of how the words appeared on the page. He was known to constantly experiment and push boundaries in rhythm and form.

In 1955, Williams had his third stroke, which left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. This did not stop him from writing. He was able teach himself how to speak again and type with his one functioning hand, though his writing slowed down significantly. On March 4, 1963, Williams died, leaving behind his wife and two sons

His work became greatly influential on the new generation of American poets.