Analysis of The Parable Of The Blind

William Carlos Williams 1883 (Rutherford) – 1963 (Rutherford)



This horrible but superb painting
the parable of the blind
without a red

in the composition shows a group
of beggars leading
each other diagonally downward

across the canvas
from one side
to stumble finally into a bog

where the picture
and the composition ends back
of which no seeing man

is represented the unshaven
features of the des-
titute with their few

pitiful possessions a basin
to wash in a peasant
cottage is seen and a church spire

the faces are raised
as toward the light
there is no detail extraneous

to the composition one
follows the others stick in
hand triumphant to disaster


Scheme AXX XAX BXX CXX DXX DXX XXB DXC
Poetic Form
Metre 110010110 0100101 0101 00010101 11010 1100100010 01010 111 1101000101 1010 0001011 111101 10100010 10101 1111 100010010 110010 10110011 01011 10101 111010100 100101 1001010 10101010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 578
Words 107
Sentences 1
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 61
Words per stanza (avg) 13
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 23, 2023

32 sec read
117

William Carlos Williams

William Carlos Williams was a Latino-American poet closely associated with modernism and imagism. more…

All William Carlos Williams poems | William Carlos Williams Books

5 fans

Discuss this William Carlos Williams poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Parable Of The Blind" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39717/the-parable-of-the-blind>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    20
    hours
    31
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who is the author of the poem "The Raven"?
    A Robert Frost
    B Edgar Allan Poe
    C Emily Dickinson
    D Langston Hughes