Dumb but sincere question -- why is William Carlos Williams' poem about the red wheelbarrow in the rain worth our time as readers? I don't get what it offers.
I was always taught that it's a great example of modern imagism. I saw it again yesterday in an anthology and must say I felt puzzled, to say the least. (I know, who am I to criticize a master...) Truth is, if this poem were posted on Eratosphere, I'd tell the author it sounds like the first few lines of a poem he hasn't finished or maybe like a hasty and rather glib first draft ("so much" depends, W.C.? Like what? Give us a clue).
So why the long shelf life and high praise for something this innocuous? No doubt it could be instructive to students who may not understand concrete imagery or something, but from a reader's viewpoint, why bother? Seems little more than a sloppily taken photograph.
I assume I'm missing its obvious and universally accepted wonderfulness. Could anyone help? I'd appreciate if someone could be as straightforward and brief as possible.
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