Love Poem With Toast

Williams opens “Love Poem with Toast” with a general statement about people, writing that “[s]ome of what we do, we do / to make things happen” (Lines 1-2). He backs up the declaration with examples from everyday life; “the alarm to wake us up, the coffee to perc, / the car to start” (Lines 3-4). While Williams is writing in free verse without strict rhyme and varies his line lengths, these three commonplace images layered on top of each other create a subtle rhythm that will continue throughout the poem. Also, the lines contain one and two syllable words, and the beat tends to fall on the second syllable, as in “the car to start” (Line 4). Though the poem is technically free verse, this continuous rhythm makes this poem blank verse as well (blank verse employs consistent rhythm, while free verse is free from meter and rhyme). The blank verse style with the use of iambs makes for a casual, conversational tone which contrasts with the poet’s blunt philosophical statements. This balancing act between the casual and the profound permeates “Love Poem with Toast” and much of Williams’s poetry.