William Carlos Williams is probably best know for the poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow.” While I do love “The Red Wheelbarrow”, I can’t just go for popularity. I like to slightly veer off the beaten path, so I picked a poem that is about a husband who just can’t keep his hands off of his wife’s stuff and is not really sorry for it…even though he pretends to be.
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
“This Is Just To Say” reminds me of a passive aggressive husband who is trying to get back at his wife by taking the leftovers in the fridge that she was purposely saving so that she could savor them the next day, but, instead the next morning, she goes to the fridge to make lunch for work and she finds that the fridge is empty and she is left making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch instead of savoring that delicious steak smothered in onion and mushrooms! Then this husband professed how sorry he was because he didn’t “know” that his wife was saving it for the next day! Whatever.Not that this poem is about me, but I don’t think he was very sorry.
Learn more about William Carlos Williams at poets.org.
FreeVerse is a weekly meme created by Ooh…Books. The idea behind the meme is to celebrate poetry is some way or fashion. Write your own or share a poem that you love. All is welcome with this meme.
Do you have a poem that reminds you of an event in your life?
8 Comments
I *love* this poem. I’ve always read it as something a little sweeter — I don’t think he’s sorry at all, but I rather feel that the one he’s speaking to isn’t terribly upset about the whole thing; it speaks to me of a long established relationship.
Reading again, of course, I’m not sure where the heck I got that from. Still love it, though!
I love this poem. Next week I’m posting one of WCW’s lesser known doctor poems. Seems like we all like us some WCW.
I love this poem. And I bet you would get a kick out of a post I did on my personal blog where we played around with the structure of this poem for laughs. Here is the link if you are interested:
http://mrsfligs.blogspot.com/2009/10/game-8-this-is-just-to-say-poem.html
Hi Kiirstin – I think your idea that it’s a long established relationship is verified in the poem. The speaker mentions that he knew she was saving them for breakfast; that would conclude a sort of intimacy.
However, as a wife who has had my food stolen, I said “oh, that’s all right.” but I remembered
Hi Cara – William Carlos Williams must be in the air
I love the reconstruction of the poem and what a wonderful idea
My personal fave is the kid’s drawing, I have so many feeling when I throw my daughter’s pictures away!
I love the ending. He could say so much in so few words!
sleeping dreams
I love this poem too, but I’m with the others who says this isn’t meant in malice. I think it’s an inside joke that doesn’t really hurt anyone. And I think it’s brilliant. We all do that sometime, intentionally or not!