William Carlos Williams’s cubism: the sensory dimension

In this article the cubism of the American poet William Carlos Williams is discussed as a product of sensory elements combined with techniques derived from the work of the visual artists associated with this style. Through the study o f a number of poems written in the period between 1917 and 1923 it is shown that Williams employs the cubist intersection of sensory planes in particular to create a sensory dimension that not only renews the traditions and mode of poetry, but also reveals the cubist concern with the defamiliarization and foregrounding of fragments of everyday experiences. Ultimately the article is an attempt to indicate Williams’ incorporation o f a sensual dimension in creating a style that achieves modernist presentation revealing an independence from both traditional literary and visual styles.