As an artist William Carlos Williams was a famous poet, regarded highly among the artistic world, but as a husband Williams was not quite as successful. Towards the end of his career, in hopes to regain better standing with his wife, Williams wrote a sort of love poem, or at least a poem of love, for her, entitled Asphodel, That Greeny Flower. Throughout the poem, Williams uses love as his main point in asking his wife to forgive him for his mistakes and love him into old age.

Williams begins the poem writing about flowers, specifically the Asphodel. Flowers represent a few different things throughout the poem that all eventually tie into one, but the first he talks about is the Asphodel which symbolizes the love he and his wife share. During their marriage Williams became distracted by his love of other women, not the same love he felt for his wife, but what he describes as "the lily's throat/ to the hummingbird! (4)", more sounding like lust. As Williams recalls he writes: I'm filled with the fading memory of those flowers

even to this poor colorless thing- (2)

The poor colorless thing Williams speaks of is the asphodel, a plain sor

For the beginning fifteen pages Williams keeps the poem a casual love poem, speaking of flowers and past memories as to not startle its reader, until he reaches Book III. He begins by flat out asking for forgiveness from his wife, "what power has love but forgiveness? (16)". Williams' words soon become serious and heartfelt, he speaks of hearts which "gasp dying/ for want of love (17)". Openly he speaks of his love for her, "Having your love/ I was rich (17)", and "Thinking to have lost it/ I am tortured/ and cannot rest. (17)" These powerful words sound straight from his soul and prepare the reader for a repeat of the poem's theme, he, again asks for her forgiveness. The poem doesn't even pause a moment before he continues in arguing his case, this time comparing to the statue of Colleoni's horse.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Book III, Homer's Iliad, Asphodel Flowers, Carlos Williams, Flower Williams, Flower Throughout, Greeny Flower, greeny flower, williams recalls, throughout poem, asphodel greeny flower, love williams, love wife, love poem, wife love, Asphodel Greeny, asphodel greeny, William Carlos, women love wife, women love, poor colorless, greeny flower williams,
Approximate Word count = 1504
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)