Each person in the human race has, at one point (or hopefully more) felt the need to offer contrition for some act that was in some way detrimental to a person they care about. Most of us would settle on a mere “I’m sorry,” and most of us would accept that offering and move on. William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just to Say” is a somewhat more elaborate peace offering.
The age and gender of the poem’s speaker are virtually irrelevant. All that we know – indeed, all that we need to know – is that he/she is a person who probably lives with another person about whom he/she cares a good deal. The speaker ate a number of plums belonging to the object of the poem and feels the need to express an apology.
When reading this poem, a tone of amusement is evident from the shortness of the lines and lack of punctuation. This arrangement lends the air of an excited child who, after running around in some game, has difficulty forming a fluid statement due to a combination of giddiness and shortness of breath and thus delivers one long, choppy sentence seemingly devoid of punctuation. Furthermore, in lines 10-12, Williams ends the poem with three adjectives describing the perfection of the plums: “they were delicious / so sweet / and so cold.” Words such as these provide justification for the childlike and minorly selfish act of larceny committed by the speaker. It is, after all, much easier to forgive the transgressions of a child than those of an adult.
The relationship between the speaker and his/her listener – for lack of a better term – is obviously a good-natured one. The speaker sees no need to skate around the issue at hand; he/she comes straight out and admits that he/she “[has] eaten the plums that were in the icebox” for which the object of the poem apparently had plans. He/she doesn’t feel the need to introduce his/her statement with anything more than the title of the poem, “This Is Just to Say.” The speaker is obviously comfortable enough with the person to whom he/she is speaking that he/she can discuss anything with him/her. If there abounds as much mutual respect between the speaker and his/her listener as we are led to believe, then the listener is sure to appreciate that his/her plums gave so much pleasure to his/her companion. The speaker realizes this and capitalizes upon it. To accomplish feelings of empathy for the speaker, Williams paints a very lucid picture of beautifully fresh and tasty plums, which makes the listener glad that one he/she cares about so much was given such great delight and makes us, as readers wish that we had had the good fortune of stealing them from the icebox.
William Carlos Williams understands the use of pathos to accomplish goals in his poetry. He is a master of painting beautiful images and illuminating our minds with his words. The 28 short words of “This Is Just to Say” have made me want to go out and buy plums.