Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS (1883-1963) One of the most original and widely imitated poets of the twentieth century, William Carlos Williams wrote verse firmly rooted in the details of everyday life. A practicing physician for more than 40 years, Williams worked in the idiom of modern American speech (unlike his friend and mentor, Ezra Pound), and his poems are redolent with a generosity of spirit. The Beat poets were particularly impressed with the accessibility of his language, and Williams's widely quoted dictum, "No ideas but in things," influenced a generation of American poets.


Sour Grapes offers readers the opportunity to study and enjoy the richness and diversity of Williams's early work. More than 70 poems are included, published between 1917 and 1921, including "Peace on Earth," "Tract," "El Hombre," "Danse Russe," "Keller Gegen Dom," "Willow Poem," "Queen-Anne's-Lace," "Portrait of a Lady," "The Widow's Lament in Springtime," and many others.