POETRY PRESENTATION

Paula Duong & Nhu Quynh Nguyen

A Portrait of the Times

1. Two W.P.A. menstood in the new

sluiceway

2. overlookingthe river –

One was pissing

3. while the othershowed

by his red

4. jagged face theimmemorial tragedy

of lack-love

5. while an old

squint-eyed woman

in a black

6. dress

and clutching

a bunch of

7. late chrysanthemums

to her

fatted bosoms

8. turned her back

on them

at the cornerP

Charades: POETRY EDITION Title: “A Portrait of the Times”

Stanza #1

Stanza #2

Stanza #3

Stanza #4

Stanza #5

Stanza #6

Stanza #7

Stanza #8

P + Q

CLASS ACTIVITY

ThesisDespite the drastic gap that exists in social

classes, William shows that the lives of three different individuals may still relate to one another through the shared experience

of hardship and the loss of a loved one

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Overall Interpretation Based on the Williams’ Background

As a doctor, saw many patients Sees what happens around him and hears from others

Based on Time Period Shows that social class difference still exists between the rich and the

poor “jagged face” (10) “fatted bosoms” (21)

Deaths of many people “immemorial tragedy” (11)

Living in grief and mourning over loss of loved ones “late chrysanthemums” (19)

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Speaker: Unspecified Observer Type of narration: 3rd person

P.O.V. (omniscient) Diction

Simple words “W.P.A.”(1) Vulgar – “one was pissing” (6)

“jagged face” (10) “sluiceway” (3)

a sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water, esp. one in a lock gate

Mood: reflective and dark Theme: Despite contrast of class

differences in life, one aspect that can still be shared/ related = loss or reflection of a loved one

Tone: straightforward and realistic

Sense: Meaning & LanguageWilliams uses a 3rd person omniscient point of view to allow readers to absorb the setting of the poem from an anonymous perspective without any personal opinions interfering the observations

His diction with specific word choices like W.P.A. gives away the time setting of the poem, and vulgar or harsh words like pissing and jagged adds a heightened sense of reality

The approach of describing the setting in a simple and straightforward tone creates a mood that is reflective of the time period

Q

chrysanthemums

Diction + Senses: Imagery & Symbols

1935-1943

Works Progress Administration

Senses: Imagery & Symbols

IMAGERY Color

“red jagged face” (9-10)

“black dress” (15-16)

Darkness Immemorial tragedy Lack-love Black (dress) Chrysanthemums

SYMBOLISM Color Imagery

Red = something to do with lack of love (the poor)

Black = something to do with death (the rich)

Contrasting colors = contrast of different social class back then Comparing these two: a man who’s

loveless and a woman who’s rich Despite social class differences,

they both still have a shared similarity: the loss of a loved one World War II + Great Depression

Q

Effect/Intent: The color imagery expresses the

similarities between social classes and the

contrast between the colors

symbolized the common

experience they’ve been

through.

Symbolism (Continued) + Connection to Williams/ Historical Context

IN THE POEM Social class differences: Two men hired by government (W.P.A.) = hinted

as poor “pissing by the river” (6-7) = members of lower

class; willing to be shameless “immemorial tragedy/ red, jagged face” (10-11)

= indicates hard life by physicality of hard lines on the face E.g. Great Depression

“fatted bosoms” = fat/ glutinous -> rich and upper class (diff. class/ contrast than the two poor men)

“turned her back on them” (22-23) = because doesn’t want to connect/ associate with them Symbolized division between classes The wealthy are turning the back on the poor, but

the poor do have the government on their sides

WILLIAMS’ LIFE

Published poem in 1941 Between time period of

Great Depression & WWII Williams’s life career =

doctor Witness the reality

and impact that war or significant tragic event can have on various people

Q

Not much creative uses of stylistic techniques in poem Indicates that poem =

straightforward and simple

Realistic vibe No use of metaphors

or similes Only description of the

setting + actions

Style: Poetry Techniques Effect/Intent: Williams wanted to express the actions of the characters within the poem in order to portray their social classes within society and how they can be compared.

By focusing only on other aspects of poem (senses, structure, & sound) instead of technique -> allows Williams to effectively emphasize on the actions of his characters to deliver the theme

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Enjambment Anomalies

“stood in the new” (2) = only line with 4 words

“immemorial tragedy” (11) = only line with 8 syllables

“late chrysanthemums” (19) = only line with 6 syllables

Few punctuation marks + 3 dashes Various pauses Perceived at slow pace Very concise and broken up

Forces readers to pause and vividly visualize the imagery

Allow mind to process images Doesn’t end with a period anywhere

Never-ending memories of tragedy

Structure: Form, Organization, & PatternEffect/Intent: Enjambment was used to show how the difference in social classes and the similarities between them don’t just end with experiences, but can be compared in many aspects.

Anomalies emphasized the importance of the whole poem and gives the audience an idea of what his actual message is.

The punctuation marks causes pauses in order to allow readers to process the events within the story in their mind and have a better understanding of the real issue at hand.

P

Two W.P.A. menstood in the new

sluiceway

overlookingthe river—

One was pissing

while the othershowed

by his red

jagged face theimmemorial tragedy

of lack-love

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 Q

— = one word

— = -ed ending slant rhyme

— = -ing ending slant rhyme

— = -ums end rhyme

— = hyphened words

Sound: Musicality & Auditory Techniques

One word - pauses -> creates a slow pace and flow

Hyphened words - show how the words go together

Various slant rhymes -um endings = nouns that

create complete images -ing endings = significant that

these actions are explained and emphasized on their actions; indicates time of these actions Not past tense -> continuous

End rhyme -ed endings = effect of

flowery sound (showed + red)

Sound: Musicality & Auditory Techniques

Williams includes various pauses throughout the poem to create a serene musical flow. The single words force the readers to pause at some point and to make the pace have a lingering, soothing effect. The pauses let readers take in the images of the three figures’ actions.

The slant rhymes and end rhymes that are included in the poem help alert readers and make them pay attention to the meaning of the words.

Q

Connection to Other Poems by THE POET

In relation to his life and experiences:

Theme of Death = “Spring and All” Mood of Sadness =

“The Widow’s Lament in Springtime” “Spring and All”

Constant use of enjambment

Represents his stream of thought as he writes his poems Anomalies

One line being only one with certain number of words “The Widow’s Lament in Springtime” -> “Thirtyfive years” (7) “A Bastard Peace” -> “butterfly” (12) “The Poor” -> “custom of necessity—” (10)

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Conclusion Not intended as an artistic, poetic feel

Simply write down what took place between 3 figures Frank, simple observations

Little snapshots [portrait] of specific timeframe then Shows social class differences Snapshot of 3 different figures: loss of loved one(s)shared

“A Portrait of the Times” – shows a moment in how humans can still connect in times of hardship [e.g. War], despite the gap in society

P + Q