Summary

The poem at first glance appears to be deceptively simple with just four stanzas comprised of couplets, without any punctuation or capitalization. The first stanza reads in its entirety, “so much depends / upon” (1-2). The title, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” is the only clue that indicates what the poem is about. The second stanza reads, “a red wheel / barrow” (3-4). The simplicity of the poem may encourage the reader to guess at what comes next. The third stanza’s lines read, “glazed with rain / water” (5-6). This provides the reader with an idea of an environment beyond the subject. The last stanza introduces life with the lines, “beside the white / chickens” (7-8). Each stanza’s opening line contains three words with the second line just featuring one word. Every line of the poem is enjambed, with individual words and concepts spread across lines rather than...