so much depends / upon.
-- Speaker (Lines 1 – 2)

Importance: These opening lines of the poem help frame the image to come as one that holds importance for some—and as it will turn out, unknown—reason. This introduction is the only instance in the poem where there is evidence of a potential speaker invested in the image they describe.

a red wheel / barrow.
-- Speaker (Lines 3 – 4)

Importance: These lines introduce the central image of the poem, the wheelbarrow. That "wheelbarrow" is split across two lines plays on the reader's expectations for what is to come.

glazed with rain / water.
-- Speaker (Lines 5 – 6)

Importance: Here, Williams adds another detail to the image presented: the wheelbarrow is red, and also wet from the rain. The term "glazed" suggests a calm and tender tone, supporting the reading of the poem as a meditation.

beside the white / chickens.
-- Speaker (Lines 7 – 8)

Importance: These lines provide some context as to where the poem might be set, as they suggest a rural or...