A Portrait of the Times

1. A Portrait of the Times Poem by William C. Williams

2. Unknown words • W.P.A- Works Progress/Projects Administration • Sluiceway- sewage way aqueduct • Immemorial- memories from the past • Chrysanthemums-funeral flowers

3. THESIS STATMENT • Williams uses Imagism in this poem to give the reader a sense of the setting without extraneous description.

4. STRUCTURE • 3 lines in each stanza • No punctuation to keep the reader open minded about the poem. • No more then 4 words in each line. • Up until the first dash the poem gives an intro briefly about what its going to be about. • The short wording of the poem is for Self interpretation so the reader can Identify a deeper meaning to the poem. • The structure of the poem is like the characters which are dependent of each other.

5. Interpritation • Stanza 1-“Two W.P.A men stood in the new sluiceway” • Currently unemployed which was why the were not at home but at the sluiceway. • Stanza 2- “Overlooking the river one was pissing” • Lack of care and lack of hope. • Stanza 3 & 4- “while the other showed by his red jagged face the immemorial tragedy of lack-love” • His face was red from blushing and shame. Blushing from looking at the man pee. Shamed because he had no problem with seeing a man pee. His face jagged from his immemorial tragedy which is the lack of love that caused him to be homosexual.

6. Interpritation • Stanza 5,6,7,&8- “While an old squint-eyed woman in a black dress and clutching a bunch of late chrysanthemums to her fatted bosoms turned her back on them at the corner” • The lady is old meaning that she has seen a lot. She is dressed in black with flowers meaning she is dressed for her own funeral. She turns her back on the men symbolizing that she has given hope up on humanity and is disappointed in it. The corner resembles her turning into the next life and giving up on humanity before her death.

7. LANGUAGE • The poem uses harsh language to show how the men have been shunned by society because of there homosexuality. • Also the way the old women is described in a vulgar way, shows dislike on how she looks down upon those two men. Which symbolizes her distaste for the death of society • The author uses the description of her turning her back on the men to show disappointment.

8. SOUND • The poem gives the reader a sense of hopelessness and the urge to give up. • Alliteration: repetition of initial constant sounds. • A sense of restlessness like they are trying to find something that cannot be found.

9. STYLE • The title of the poem was referring to the time of great depression. • And the poem portrays that perfectly. • The tone of the poem was low and depressing. • The mood was dreadful and hopeless. • The theme of the poem is based on how homosexuals are looked down upon in America and poverty during the great depression.