A Study Of The Female Images In W.C. Williams’ Poetry

William Carlos Williams is an important and influential poet in America. He isa full-time physician, but meanwhile he developed a distinct modern poetic whichdeparts from the influence of European literary tradition. Williams directly engagedboth with the object world and with the contemporary social environment of theregion where he lived and worked: the area around Rutherford, New Jersey. Heconducted an experiment on the language, form and content in his verse andattempted to depict the authentic experiences of Americans and the local Americanscene. Williams’ poetry is full of vivid imagery and often describes objects ratherthan intangible sentiments or ideas, which just reflects his poetic concept “no ideasbut in things”.In Williams’ poetry, the subject of women perennially intrigues and mystifieshim. His work includes a wide range of portraits of individual women. Women areindispensable to Williams’ work; without their presence in his poetry, his work willbe substantially impoverished. Williams’ viewpoint on women is varied andgenerally affirmative. He often treated men and women almost in the same way.However, this doesn’t demonstrate that Williams is entirely free of sexism. Indeed apatriarchal thought has been existing in America over a long period of time, soWilliams was also influenced by this thought. Williams’ medical experiences withsome women patients, the early effect of his mother and grandmother, the lifelongcompanionship with his wife, and his friendships with other women poets and writersexert profound influence on Williams’ attitudes towards the female.Therefore, this thesis attempts to make an analysis of the female images inWilliams’ poetry to manifest his ambivalent attitudes towards women. Chapter onemainly focuses on the general female images in Williams’ poetry to show hisadmiration for women. Chapter two specifically analyzes the female images which take the four kinds of women Williams loved and respected in his life as archetypes,aiming to demonstrate the female images in Williams’ poetry are the combination ofhis creative imagination and real world. Chapter three explores Williams’ ambivalentattitudes towards women. On the one hand, he has the patriarchal view and prejudicetowards women; on the other hand, he shows his sympathy for those vulnerable andpitiful women. Through detailed analysis, we will have a clear and comprehensiveunderstanding of the female images in Williams’ poetry.