A Portrait of The TimesAlexis HernandezAlejandra HerreraJohn Rolex-Manansala

Thesis

William Carlos Williams shows the disdain society has on the lower class through diction/imagery.

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

overlooking the river-One was pissing

while the other showed by his red

jagged face theimmemorial tragedyof lack-love

while an oldsquint-eyed woman In a black

dressand clutching a bunch of

late chrysanthemums to herfatted bosoms

turned her backon them at the corner

Tone/mood: Beginning:

Gloomy ex: “stood in the new sluiceway overlooking

the river-” End:

Sad and Dark; Transitions to an even more negative mood/tone

Ex: Transitions “ jagged face the immemorial tragedy…”

Last three lines of the poem shows a critical tone

Structure Enjambment Everything before the dash represents the setting of

the poem Three-line stanzas

Short because Williams’ wants to give a snapshot of everything that happens, and emphasizes the stanzas by not including punctuation

Imagery Stanzas 1&2

Imagery Stanza 3

Use of color; Red anger and aggression, especially when using the word “jagged”

Stanza 5 Use of color: black shows the depression/negativity

Rhyme Words “overlooking” and “Pissing”

Alliteration The word “lack-love” creates rhythm within the poem as

well as “squint-eyed” The words beginning with the letter b and c

Interpretation The hardships in their lives brings forth

the image of sadness, because they’re poor and sad the woman wants nothing to do with them and chooses to turn her back on them because she is in a higher class and feels as though she is better than them.

The woman is of higher class In the 7th stanzas, the woman is

described as having “fatted bosoms” which means she is bigger, which means she is fed well, and being fed well or eating large amounts, means she is of wealth.

In the 8th stanza she turns her back on the men as she turns the corner, because women of her status

The Poor Men Peed in the river; shows they are of lower

class society The way Williams’ describes one of the

men with a “jagged face” gives the impression the man lives a hard life filled with struggles.

They’re W.P.A. men; men without a set job during the great depression-shows they are poor

Class ActivityWith your groups or individually,

illustrate one of the stanzas from the poem. And then a class discussion will follow.