William Carlos Williams (1883 – 1963) was an important figurehead in the Imagist and Modernism movements in American poetry and served as a primary inspiration for the Beat writers. Williams’ poetry is often characterized by his use of humor and his interest in conventional, everyday topics. In addition to writing, Williams had a thriving medial practice in New Jersey, serving as a physician (and pediatrician) for his entire career.
Here is a poem that Williams’ wrote about smell.
Smell!
Oh strong-ridged and deeply hollowed
nose of mine! what will you not be smelling?
What tactless asses we are, you and I, boney nose,
always indiscriminate, always unashamed,
and now it is the souring flowers of the bedraggled
poplars: a festering pulp on the wet earth
beneath them. With what deep thirst
we quicken our desires
to that rank odor of a passing springtime!
Can you not be decent? Can you not reserve your ardors
for something less unlovely? What girl will care
for us, do you think, if we continue in these ways?
Must you taste everything? Must you know everything?
Must you have a part in everything?
– William Carlos Williams
