This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams 》Summary | Questions and Answers | Major English Class 11

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This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

     Summary | Questions and Answers

                Major English Class 11

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

ABOUT POEM 

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

The poem 'This Is Just To Say' is an imagist poem that has been composed by an American poet, William Carlos Williams. It was initially published in 1934.

Here in this poem, we find three stanzas that are separated into sets of four lines, or quatrains. The lines are all about the same length without the use of punctuation marks. It seems to mean that it's just one sentence.

It is written in free verse with a minimalist style. This poem is a note left by a man for his wife, apologising for greedily munching on all of the plums that she'd been saving in the fridge.

Here, the speaker, or man, regrets his hasty action and offers a confession. We find choice, regret, and negative aspects of human nature to be the major themes of the poem. This simple and short poem accounts for the speaker's mistakes and regrets simultaneously.

He admits that he has eaten the plums that have been kept in the icebox for breakfast. He fails to control himself and enjoys eating plums. A bit later, he realises his mistake. He feels that he has done something wrong and begs for forgiveness from his wife.

The choice of words indicates that his confession is not so sincere. He tries to describe the sweet taste of plums. Through this poem, the poet comments on the defects of human nature. Sometimes we do things that put us on the verge of embarrassment.

However, the words 'I HAVE' in full capitalization at the beginning and 'F' capitalization in 'Forgive', which appear in the third stanza, make us realise that we're dealing with a person who has made a mistake and made an apology for his wrongdoing.

We find the use of imagery in the poem when the speaker asserts that the plums are delicious, sweet, and cold. The plums in the poem symbolise any pleasurable experience that a person can either embrace or delay.

SHORT SUMMARY 

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

The speaker says in his note that he has eaten plums from the icebox, which his wife may have saved for breakfast. He didn't feel a problem while eating them. But later on, he regrets his actions and apologises through a note to his wife. To his surprise, he even expresses that the plums were cold, sweet, and delicious. At a deeper level, the poem exposes the negative aspects of human nature. Instead of truly accepting our mistakes, we simply say that we couldn't control ourselves. Thus, the poet reveals the weakness of human nature.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 

1. Who is the speaker of the poem? Who does 'you' refer to?

Answer:

The speaker is the person who ate the plums. 'You' refers to the speaker's wife.

2. What do you think the relationship between the speaker and 'you' in the poem is?

Answer:

The speaker and 'you' are likely in a close relationship, possibly a marital one, as the speaker is apologizing to his wife.

3. Why does the speaker say 'Forgive me'?

Answer:

The speaker says 'Forgive me' because he regrets eating the plums that were meant for breakfast and want to apologize for his actions.

4. What is the effect of the description of how delicious the plums were?

Answer:

The description adds a layer of complexity, as the speaker not only confesses but also highlights the pleasure derived from eating the plums, making the apology more nuanced.

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT 

1. Look at this stanza and answer the questions that follow.

   Forgive me

   they were delicious

   so sweet

   and so cold

a. Who is the speaker?

Answer:

The speaker is the person who ate the plums.

b. What does 'they' refer to? Why do you think they were cold?

Answer:

'They' refers to the plums. The plums were cold because they were kept in the icebox.

c. What is the theme of the poem?

Answer:

The theme of the poem includes regret, confession, and the complexities of human nature.

LITERACY ANALYSIS 

1. Analyse the poem 'This is Just to Say'.

Answer:

The poem is an imagist piece that uses a minimalist style and free verse. It explores the themes of regret, confession, and the weakness of human nature, showcasing the speaker's struggle with impulsivity and the consequences of their actions.

REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT 

1. 'It is better to confess the guilt and apologize for it rather than hide it'. Explain.

Answer:

Confessing and apologizing allow for acknowledgment of wrongdoing, fostering understanding and resolution, whereas hiding guilt may lead to misunderstandings or strained relationships.

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