William Carlos Williams: A Response

Mr. Williams,

A person can never deny that the idea of freedom is an intoxicating and admirable thing, whether written in the boldest sweeping strokes of the pen or trumpeted to the heavens upon a tremendous breath. This idea is pervasive in our culture, replete with images of bursting locks and broken chains. It crosses boundaries, shakes their roots and brings walls and restrictions tumbling downward. And in the wreckage, through the billowing cloud tumbles a vibrant cry, that of a man exultant and unfettered. This is particularly true in the arts, where one finds new movements burgeoning so readily from the old, taking something of the established structure but bending or contorting it to create something different.

I am admittedly a traditionalist, finding contemporary poetry and the bending of old form somewhat foreign forms of expression. However, in reading your essay, "The Work of Gertrude Stein", alongside the work of Gertrude Stein herself, I found myself at the very least intrigued by this idea of liberated verse. Whatever I might argue for the beauty of old forms, I do find myself buoyant in the freedom of words; they can be odd or crooked, peculiar or nonsensical, existing solely for their own sake. That is a beautiful notion, and I believe it the strongest argument for contemporary poetry. The creative impulse, the imaginative faculty is the beating heart of any poetic work, and whether one poet understands another's method of delivery or not, they still share this imagination in common. Verily, there is no harm in looking askance to catch sight of a rare and marvelous white bear.