William Stafford was born in Kansas in 1914. In the small town of Hutchinson, Stafford grew up with supportive parents, that both inspired him and taught him to love literature. Unlike other poets of his time, William lead a healthy, routine life. He was not suicidal, addicted to alcohol, or extremely depressed. Stafford was openly against World War II. Mark Mitchell wrote in a biography of William Stafford titled, `The Sacred Blur' that the anti-war poet's work, "is anything but ignorant of the aggression and menacing nature of the 1940's." I find it apparent in a poem titled `For My Young Friends Who Are Afraid', William's appreciation for his country is strongly present. Stafford not only indirectly expressed his political feelings, but his thoughts in life as well. His deep respect for "the little things in life" is displayed clearly in the his poem, `Just Thinking'. As it reads...