The Red Wheelbarrow Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Do you hear a voice in this poem? What kind of voice is it?
  2. Why doesn't Williams capitalize his letters?
  3. Why doesn't Williams use punctuation in this poem?
  4. Do you like the way this poem is composed of couplets (two-lined stanzas)?
  5. What depends upon a red wheelbarrow?
  6. If you were to set this poem to a piece of music, what would it be (and why)?
  7. If you were to create a short video about this poem, what would it be like?
  8. If you heard someone say, "so much depends upon a red wheelbarrow glazed with rainwater beside the white chickens" (and, let's say, you had never heard of this poem before), would you automatically know she was reciting a poem, or would you think she was simply making conversation about a wheelbarrow?
  9. Paint this poem.
  10. Research wheelbarrows. Who invented them? Why are they cool?