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The Power Of Nature In Willow Poem, And Complete Destruction

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“We cannot command Nature except by obeying her.” said by philosopher Francis Bacon. The meaning behind this famous quote is that human and no such things can fully control or overcome the nature. We need to follow and accept the consequences of nature. Furthermore, this idea could influence William Carlos Williams about the power of nature. An American poet, Williams Carlos Williams was born on September 17, 1883, in his hometown, New Jersey. His first exposure to the literature was when his father reveals the poems written by Shakespeare to him. However, he decided to take the medical degree in the medical school at Pennsylvania regard to his parent's intention. Fortunately, at the University of Pennsylvania, he met his friend called Ezra …show more content…

In short, “Willow Poem” is about the willow tree that is persisting despite the change of the season. It is the period of changing the season between the summer to autumn and it is almost the end of the year because winter is getting closer. In comparison, the “Complete Destruction” is describing the situation where the narrator buried the cat and set the fire. Later, the escaped fleas were died by the cold. As stated in the beginning of the poem “It is a willow when summer is over,…from which no leaf has fallen nor / bitten by the sun” (1-4), the willow tree is trying its best to hold their leaves and not changing the color as summer is passing. However, due to the “oblivious winter” (12) the willow tree was defeated by nature because the leaves have fallen as “the last to let go and fall / into the water and on the ground.” (13-14). The endeavour of trying to live of the willow tree were defeated by nature because the willow tree does not willing to let the leaves fall as stated “as if loath to let go,” (9). Similarly, in “Complete Destruction”, even though the fleas were escaped from “earth and fire” (7) they were still “died by the cold.” (8). The escaped fleas are trying to escape from nature which is the earth and fire, however, the destructive power of nature is inevitable and finally killed those …show more content…

As a modernist poets, Williams breaks from the traditional writing style and writes the poem without any rhyme pattern. A short, descriptive poem consisting of two equal stanzas, “Complete Destruction” contains no such words that could possibly rhyme with each other. Since the beginning of the poem, Williams writes, “It was an icy day, / We buried the cat,” (1-2) neither the word “day” nor “cat” rhyme with each other. In addition, Williams continues to maintain the poem without any rhyme word at the end of each line. This continuation illustrates several purposes. First, it creates no interesting sound which reveals the sense of sadness. This finally refers that through the powerful destructive nature death is inescapable. Second, it shows the discontinuation of sound which reveals the reduction of life that was created by the immense power of nature. Likewise, Williams also reveals the destruction and elimination of the rhyme in last two lines in “Willow Poem”. As presented in the poem, “It is a willow when summer is over, / a willow by the river” (1-2) the last word of each line is rhyme with the next line and continue to rhyme with each other throughout the poem. Nevertheless, this rhyme pattern is destroyed at the end as stated “the last to let go and fall / into the water and on the ground.” (13-14). The last word of each line

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