Reader response critisicm take on Woolworth's for Greg Fallon.

Well Hillringhouse ‘ poem Woolworth’s for Greg Fallon is about a sad and dramatic ending of many of Woolworth’s store across the nation which left thousands of people’s lives devastated including his own life. Woolworth is one of the world most well- known and oldest shopping stores was recently forced to close down many of its key stores  because of stiff competition from other new emerging store. Since its inception 100 of years back by a potato farmer turn business tycoon, Frank Woolworth has many ups and down in his life’s journey. He was the first store owner who introduced the new system of “self- service”. Before that all the merchandises were kept behind the glass and customer had to give a list of what they want to buy to the store staff. Because of his ingenuity and hard work he had good start in the beginning of his venture, though he had his own share of misfortune.

            This particular poem of Hillringhouse is divided into four stanza which having its distinctive idea. In the first stanza, author cleverly illustrated the gloomy downfall of this old business center in a very plaintive way, “the ancient names of old stores fading like the last century” and “sun light dipping down the stone facades”. The Woolworth is woven with the life of the concerning city that he was wondering how they are going to survive (this city that has no more memory of itself than river has of rain).

            In the second stanza, author is reminiscing his experienced in that once big and variety store. From line 1 to 6 author says, “I can still smell the hotdog counter and the pretzel carousal. I loved the sound of birds as I entered , the watery bubbles from acquarium filters over the plants. If I imagined like a child walking with my mother, the store part rainforest, and closed my eyes I was in some tropical country”.

            The third stanza shows how the once blooming store is now emptied as heavily discounted goods are randomly stack one upon another.

            The last stanza shows how this has an adverse effect on many people. “swaying to regain my balance behind the men who walk home from sweaty jobs with clenched fists”.

Marxist criticism take on William Carlos William's "the red wheel barrow"

            If Williams Carlos Williams was anything more than a physician, a career which spanned over more than 40 years and as an aesthetic artist which brought him much fame as one of the most distinguished modern American poets, he was a revolutionary and a radical leftist. His most popular poem, “the red wheelbarrow” is the living evidence of it.

            Born in New Jersey to an Puerto Rican immigrants in 1883 and his formative years much influenced by the new surge of communism across the United States in the beginning of 1900’s and spending numbers of time among middle and lower class people, he became an ardent follower of Marxism. In the year 1923, when he was 40, he did justice to his generative stage and his ideology by calling up for a revolution through his famous “the red wheelbarrow” poem which he believed would bring change in the life of poor and unfortunate people that he love. Indications are clear if one look and discern his poem in general and synonymous manner.

                                                           

                                                            so much depends

                                                            upon

                                                            a red wheel

                                                            barrow

                                                            glazed with rain

                                                            rain

                                                            beside the white

                                                            chickens.

            Williams deliberately wrote all the poem’s words in simple and lower case which divulges his endeavor to relate and identify these with ordinary masses. Even though so much has written, analyzed and admired his poem as laden with meter, enjambment and other literature terms, one should not be carried away by the beauty of these and fail to appreciate his real intention of composing this poem with well-chosen, limited and condensed with double meaning words. Unlike the rest of the poem, the first two stanza “so much depend” and “upon” do not have identical meaning other than stress and importance of words themselves. However, in the next part, “a red wheel” and “ barrow” the author choose red as this color equals with communism and intentionally separate the wheel and barrow in disguise of enjambment to give double meaning to wheel which also means revolution. The third couplet, “glazed with rain” and “water” he also gives double edge meaning to glaze as it also means cover and rain equates with flood and torrent, which means overwhelmed by oppression. In the last verses, “beside the white” and “chickens” the white color connotes successful beginning while chickens to the masses, which makes sense because chickens are the most abundant and abused animals in our realm.

            Essentially, the poem mirrors Williams’ aspiration for his lofty dream:  revolution from people who were discriminated by the system of society. He successfully wrote down his call for revolution.