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The poem "Poem" by William Carlos Williams is told from the perspective of an observer. The poet does not specify the exact identity of the speaker because it is not essential to the context of the poem. The speaker is almost removed from the poem, merely describing the occurrences of a seemingly insignificant moment. A rhythm is established in the poem in its use of short lines and few syllable words. The greatest amount of syllables contained in a single word in this poem is four. These short words and lines create a simplistic rhythm, which mirrors the simplistic subject of the poem.
This poem employs run on lines from each three line stanza, consisting of one continuing thought from the beginning of the poem to the end of the poem. The entire poem consists of visionary imagery, describing the movement of a cat slowly from the top of a jamcloset to the inside of an empty flower pot. The imagery is not specific. The audience is not made aware of the size or color of the cat, the height of the jamcloset or the flowerpot. With the use of run-on lines and vague imagery, I think Williams is attempting to merely capture a sense of the experience, rather than complicating it with details.
By entitling this poem "Poem," Williams is making a distinct statement: poetry can be anything. Many may read this poem and notice its lack of rhyme and profundity and deem it unworthy of being considered poetry. In art history we are learning about the impressionists, and a key component of their works was the nature in which they captured their subjects. Rather than concerning themselves with the detail, they merely attempted to capture their impression of the moment. In addition their works often depicted moments that weren't typical subjects of art work. I feel that Williams in the impressionist of poetry in this poem. The moment depicted seems relatively insignificant and the audience is granted only a sense of it.