William Carlos Williams and the Icebox:
The following is one of William Carlos William's best-known and most often anthologized poems:
THIS IS JUST TO SAY
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.
What, if any, difference should it make if someone discovered that Williams had not written this as a poem, that he had never intended it for publication, and that, in fact, it was just a note he had left on the door of a friend's refrigerator after eating all the plums?
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I'm not trying to dodge the question, but I'm not sure I have a definitive answer to this. As I've suggested before in different words, I think art can be a verb or a noun, something we do or something we perceive. Could it be possible for something that was not created as art to be perceived as art? Possibly. In 1917 Marcel Duchamp submitted a urinal as a work of art. He didn't build it or design it, he bought it in a plumbing store. For understandable reasons it was dismissed by many for not being art because he didn't create it and yet it's impossible to dismiss the reaction, the meaning many assigned to the work, as if it was art.
ReplyDeletebtw, I hope you're feeling better, Connie.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I would take this if it wasn't written formally for the use of poetry. It is written in a sense of good grammar and almost a teasing sense in saying, forgive me. Because if someone were to eat my plums out of the ice box I probably would have been angered as I loooove food! But if it was not written and published formally as poetry I would not see it as that, but as a whitty little note for a semi-angered someone to read.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I won't be in class tomorrow night due to we are driving to Texas for a game! If you could send an e-mail to my Coach saying you know about my absence that would be much appriciated. Her name is Tracy Anderson. And I hope you are feeling better!!!
Good thoughts here from both of you. Marcel Duchamp did raise quite a ruckus with his submission; and he was part of a movement that was introducing the concept that it was the idea behind the art work that was the art and important to the piece.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling better.
Brea, I will send the e-mail to your coach ... through Newman's e-mail account, correct?
Correct!
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree, that I'm not sure I have an exact answer to this...but I will say that if someone ate all of "my" plums, I would not be happy...haha! However, if it was intended to be written as a poem, I would have a different reaction. I would probably find it to be somewhat humerous. As we have discussed, art is taken in many different ways. I find that if he intended it to be a note, then he will find it to just be a note...But, some may find it to be a poem or form of art work.
ReplyDeleteNote:
Connie, I apologize for such short notice. I was just wondering if you had received my e-mail that I had sent yesturday regarding class tonight? Glad to hear you are feeling better!
I'm not sure how to answer this either. I would like to say that I would consider this to be a poem whether he intended for it to be or not. My reason for this is that obviously some people are enjoying this as a poem even if William didn't or did mean for it to be one. I believe that if something is being enjoyed as poetry or artwork then it can be defined as poetry or artwork. Something doesn't have to be written or painted with the purpose of making it poetry or artwork to be considered to be that by the viewer.
ReplyDeleteHey Connie,
ReplyDeleteI won't be in class the next two Tuesdays due to basketball games if you could once again send my coach an e-mail that would be great. I'll try to get caught up with Danielle or if you had any time to come in extra on a thursday or in the afternoons I would greatly appriciate it! Thanks,
Brea