The Eyeglasses

1. The Eyeglasses by: Cristal, Cassandra , and Selena

2. Activity: (blurred picture)

5. Thesis: • Through the use of descriptive imagery in his poem “The Eyeglasses” William Carlos Williams illustrates how people often look past the importance of the smaller things in life. • “all this is for eyeglasses/to discover. But/they lie there with the gold/earpieces folded down/ tranquilly Titicaca-” (24-28)

6. Overall Interpretation: -Williams is trying to say that one does not need human made objects to see life for its true beauty. “all this is for the eyeglasses to discover. But they lie there with the gold earpieces folded down” (24-27)

7. Person: A person who notices all these things in life without the use of their eyeglasses • Point of view: third person • Mood: Positive • “proclaiming” (5) • “tranquilly” (28) • Allegory : It seems to have the same feel as the allegory of the cave. In the allegory of the cave the people thought they knew something from what they saw as shadows however they didn't until they actually saw it. In this poem the allegory is mainly about people not letting things influence the way they see something . “ It is this that engages the favorable distortion of eyeglasses that see everything and remain related to mathematics-- “ (11-15) Sense: Meaning and Language Purpose/Effect: Williams writes the “Eyeglasses” in the form of third person because he wants the readers to paint a picture of the setting of the poem. The allegories purpose is to explain a deeper meaning about the eyeglasses to help the reader understand a message the other is trying to get across. the effect is that it makes the reader think of many different things the poem could mean .

8. Senses: Imagery and Symbols Purpose/Effect: Williams uses this imagery to give more description to the reader and help visualize the set better Color imagery throughout the poem: “the small/yellowcinquefoil” (9-10) Symbolism: “browncelluloid made to represent tortoiseshell-” (17-18) “they lie there with thegold earpieces folded down” (26-27)

9. Style:Poetry Techniques Purpose/Effect: William Williams uses the style stream of consciousness in order to create the connection between the author and reader. Stream of consciousness: This occurs throughout the entire poem.

10. Structure: Form, Organization, and Pattern Purpose/Effect: Williams emphasizes certain lines to make the reader connect with the idea of the beauty of the world without humanity influencing it. Syllables: most lines have 5-8 syllables, but two lines are different: One line has 4 syllables: “made of linen” (21) this shows that the line is important because it is an example of a man made thing. One line has 10 syllables: “this that engages the favorable” (12) this shows how people only see the things that they want to. whatever “engages” them The last line has 7 syllables but only two words “tranquilly Titicaca” (28) this shows us that this line is the most important for it is the odd ball out since every other line has more than two words

11. Structure: Form, Organization, and Pattern Purpose/Effect: williams uses enjambment to show more of the conscious thoughts that are continuous. He adds emphasis to specific lines and words when using end-stopped. Enjambment: Only two sentences in the poem. Lines 1-11 Lines 11-25 End-Stopped: “related to mathematics” (line 15) “represent tortoiseshell” (line 18) “and he owns a typewriter” (lines 22) “ tranquilly Titicaca” (line 28) Syntax: 2 Sentences in the beginning and the middle. Does not end with a sentence. This allows the focus to be on the last part of the poem.Also it breaks up the poem in parts in order to help the reader understand each part.

12. Sound:musicality and auditory techniques Purpose/Effect: William Williams uses alliteration to keep the audience’s attention to the main ideas going on in the poem. Rhythm: similar line length….most lines have 5-8 syllables) Alliteration: “skin, so sweet”(8) “parched places”(11) remain related”(14-15) Free-Verse

13. Connection to Other Poetry by Williams • Poems with similar ideas: “The Poor” “The Mind Hesitant” • Use of visual imagery: • melon flowers • clover • cinquefoil • parched places • Historical context: • During the Roaring Twenties; • a dramatic social and political change occurred.

14. Activity: Discussion Questions • How does the poem seek to create an emotional response in the reader? • In what ways does the final line/stanza change your understanding of the poem as a whole?

15. Imagism William Carlos Williams is an imagist because most of his poems are free verse. Also Williams has a imagist’s writing style because how he often compares things together. For example he compares Lake Titicaca to eyeglasses.

16. Conclusion Based on the way Williams ends the poem, it is evident that things are not always as they seem. In this case we are presented with the Titicaca lake at the end of the poem . A lake is thick and so a person can’t see to its bottom clearly and even though man made objects could potentially help, they ruin its true beauty. Example : Submarine helpful = harmful → eliminating beauty Example #2: In Titicaca the people of Uros, a small tribe in peru, have made man made islands out of reeds that float over the Titicaca lake. reeds + lake = harm to lake eliminating the beauty it once had