Deconstructive Read....

Deconstructive Reading of Three Poems by Shakespeare, Ezra Pound, and William Carlos Williams

 Introduction

Deconstruction, a theory primarily associated with Jacques Derrida, aims to uncover the instability of meaning within texts. It questions the fixed binary oppositions and seeks to reveal the multiple layers of interpretation that a text can hold. This blog undertakes a deconstructive reading of three poems: William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, Ezra Pound's "In a Station of the Metro," and William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarrow." Through this analysis, we will explore how each poem's structure, language, and themes destabilize conventional meanings and expectations.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

Deconstructive Analysis:

Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 subverts the conventional Petrarchan sonnet that idealizes the beloved's physical beauty. The poem begins by dismantling the hyperbolic comparisons typically used to praise a lover. The mistress' eyes are not like the sun, her lips are not as red as coral, and her breasts are not as white as snow. Each comparison serves to undermine the traditional poetic metaphors that elevate a woman's beauty to divine or natural perfection.

The deconstructive reading highlights the tension between the literal and the figurative language in the poem. By stating that his mistress' features are not like these idealized images, Shakespeare challenges the very notion of poetic idealization. The poem critiques the unrealistic standards of beauty imposed by poetic conventions and instead celebrates the mistress' unique and authentic qualities.

Furthermore, the final couplet, "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare," reaffirms the value of the mistress, not in spite of her lack of conventional beauty, but because of it. The poem's structure, therefore, deconstructs the binary opposition between beauty and ugliness, revealing that true love transcends superficial comparisons.

Ezra Pound's "In a Station of the Metro"

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Deconstructive Analysis:

Ezra Pound's "In a Station of the Metro" is a two-line poem that epitomizes the imagist movement's focus on precise imagery and economy of language. The poem juxtaposes the fleeting images of faces in a metro station with the delicate beauty of petals on a wet, black bough. 

A deconstructive reading of this poem examines the relationship between the two images and how they destabilize fixed meanings. The word "apparition" suggests something ghostly or ephemeral, highlighting the transient nature of the faces in the crowd. This fleeting quality is juxtaposed with the more tangible image of petals on a bough. However, the wetness and darkness of the bough also evoke a sense of impermanence and decay, challenging the traditional association of petals with beauty and life.

The poem's brevity and lack of explicit connection between the two images invite multiple interpretations. The reader is left to navigate the space between the lines, questioning the nature of the connection and the meanings that arise from it. The poem deconstructs the binary between the ephemeral and the permanent, suggesting that beauty and transience are intertwined.

William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarrow"

Deconstructive Analysis:

William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarrow" is a modernist poem that emphasizes the significance of ordinary objects through vivid, precise imagery. The poem's simplicity and directness invite a deconstructive reading that explores the relationship between language, perception, and meaning.

The poem begins with the assertion, "so much depends / upon," creating an expectation of significance. However, the subsequent images of a red wheelbarrow, rainwater, and white chickens seem mundane and unremarkable. This juxtaposition deconstructs the reader's expectations of what is deemed important or meaningful in poetry.

The poem's structure, with its short, enjambed lines, forces the reader to pause and consider each word and image. The visual arrangement of the words on the page mimics the shapes and relationships of the objects described, blurring the line between the poem's form and content. This interplay between language and visual representation challenges the binary opposition between word and image.

Additionally, the poem's emphasis on the red wheelbarrow "glazed with rain / water" and "beside the white / chickens" deconstructs the notion of ordinary versus extraordinary. The ordinary objects are imbued with significance through the poet's perception and the act of naming. This deconstruction of everyday objects reveals the complexity and richness of the seemingly mundane, challenging traditional hierarchies of meaning.

Conclusion

Through a deconstructive reading of William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, Ezra Pound's "In a Station of the Metro," and William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarrow," we uncover the ways in which each poem destabilizes fixed meanings and expectations. Shakespeare's sonnet challenges conventional beauty standards and poetic idealization, Pound's imagist poem juxtaposes fleeting and tangible images to explore transience, and Williams' modernist poem elevates ordinary objects to reveal their inherent significance. Deconstruction allows us to appreciate the multiple layers of interpretation and meaning within these poems, ultimately enriching our understanding of their complexity and depth.

Citations:

1. Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.

2. Shakespeare, William. The Complete Sonnets and Poems. Edited by Colin Burrow, Oxford University Press, 2002.

3. Pound, Ezra. Personae: The Shorter Poems of Ezra Pound. Edited by Lea Baechler and A. Walton Litz, New Directions, 1990.

4. Williams, William Carlos. *The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams, Volume I: 1909-1939*. Edited by A. Walton