‘Perfection’ is an imagist poem that demonstrates phenomenally well one of the movement’s defining tenets: a hyper-focus on the mundane. Many of the most famous William Carlos Williams are themselves intense reflections on a variety of seemingly everyday sights, objects, and occurrences. Using precise but simple diction, they have the ability to render the ordinary into something extraordinary. In this short but impactful poem by Williams, the speaker observes a rotting apple and is moved to absolute awe by its perfection.
Summary
‘Perfection’ by William Carlos Williams is a poem about seeing life’s flawless beauty in the decay of a rotting apple.
On the surface, ‘Perfection’ is a rather straightforward poem about one person’s affinity for a nicely rotten apple. Much of the poem is comprised of the speaker’s seemingly paradoxical praise for the decaying piece of fruit. They describe in vivid detail the way the apple has “hardly a contour marred” by the intense ripening and has instead developed this immaculate brown color that covers its “unspoiled surface.”
The speaker then reveals that they were the ones to place the apple outside, exposed to the elements in the first place, with the goal of letting it ripen. They even lament that no one has touched the piece of fruit for over a month. “No one. No one!” they shout, as if frustrated that no one else appreciates the exquisiteness of a perfectly rotten apple.
Structure and Form
‘Perfection’ is written in free verse without any definite rhyme scheme or meter. The poem does display the use of what Williams called the variable foot, which was his attempt to create a far more organic form of meter that mimicked the everyday speech patterns of the English language. The poet also uses caesura, enjambment, and end-stopped lines to contort the poem’s cadence into these fragmented images and expressions.
Literary Devices
As an imagist poem, ‘Perfection’ relies mainly on visual imagery to meticulously construct a scene that is as vivid to the reader as it is for the speaker describing it. And nearly all of the imagery is focused entirely on the apple itself: “beautifully and completely / rotten / hardly a contour marred–“(2-4); “shrivelled at the top” (6); “deep and suffusing brown / mantles that / unspoiled surface!” (10-12).
The poem can also be read symbolically, with great significance placed on the rotting “lovely apple!” (1) as being representative of organic decay and death. The fact that no one reveres or takes the apple — “No one / has moved you” (12-13) — also supports this interpretation. As the rotten apple only reminds people of their own fading mortality, which they also fear and detest visual reminders of (e.g. aging).
Detailed Analysis
Stanza One
O lovely apple!
beautifully and completely
rotten
hardly a contour marred–
In the first stanza of ‘Perfection,‘ the speaker conjures up the image of a single rotten apple. Immediately, we are presented with a number of paradoxical observations. The speaker’s diction in describing the piece of fruit — “O lovely apple!” (1) and as “beautifully and completely / rotten” (2-3) — reveals they don’t think any less of it now that it is undergoing a natural decomposition.
They even claim that the rot hasn’t yet “marred” (4) the apple’s shape, which seems contradictory. Yet the poetic still-life they’re painting with their imagery implies that the fruit is not yet physically falling apart and still retains its rotund shape.
Stanza Two
perhaps a little
(…)
in every detail! O lovely
The second stanza of ‘Perfection’ continues to describe the apple, with the speaker confessing that not all of it is without blemish. They point out that it is “a little / shrivelled at the top” (6) from the rot but other than that, it is “perfect / in every detail!” (7-8). Once again, the speaker juxtaposes rather close images of the apple’s ripening body with their ecstatic appreciation of it. The perfection that they refer to is tied to their perception of decay and death itself. Where others just see a rotting apple, the speaker clearly sees some inherent aesthetic grandeur.
Stanza Three
apple! what a
(…)
unspoiled surface! No one
The third stanza provides one final look at the apple, which the speaker (continuing from the last stanza) refers to for a second time as “lovely” (8). This time they focus on the color of the apple’s skin: a “deep and suffusing brown” (10) that anyone who has been far too close to an aging piece of fruit would be familiar with. Interestingly, the speaker ignores or fails to catch a whiff of the apple’s rotting smell. Instead, they focus solely on its visual appearance.
Their choice of diction is also curious as they refer to the fruit’s surface as a “mantle” (which evokes the word’s geological definition as a layer between the Earth’s crust and core) and describe it as being “unspoiled” (12).
Williams once again uses paradox to challenge the reader’s perceptions of the rotting fruit. Urging us to see that, in terms of organ decomposition, the apple is perfect and unsullied. It could also be a reference to the line in the first stanza that affirms the fruit’s shape has not yet been tarnished by the ripening interior.
Stanza Four
has moved you
(…)
to ripen.
The fourth stanza of ‘Perfection’ shifts the speaker’s focus momentarily away from the apple they have been revering for the last three stanzas. Here it is revealed that they were the ones who initiated the apple’s decomposition: “I placed you on the porch / rail a month ago / to ripen.” (14-16). But their reason for doing so is somewhat ambiguous — perhaps it was just to appreciate the changes that the fruit would undergo.
Yet the speaker’s fixation on no one stopping to also admire or even take the piece of fruit hints at their desire to not be the only one who perceives such perfection in something often overlooked and discarded.
Stanza Five
No one. No one!
The final stanza of ‘Perfection’ is just one short line that underscores the speaker’s obsession over the lack of fellow overripe fruit enthusiasts. “No one. No one!” they assert and then shout, giving voice to their frustration. As if to mirror the apple’s own decay, the outburst ends what was previously a lushly venerating poem with a sour sentiment. In doing so, Williams underscores the fickleness of aesthetic appreciation even in something as simple as a piece of fruit, as well as the reflexive revulsion people tend to harbor in regard to the organic processes of death in all its forms.
FAQs
The beauty of imagist poems like this one is the way one can appreciate them on both a literal and figurative level rather equally. However you choose to read Williams’ poem, it remains a sublime ode to the perfectly natural decay of organic life and a bemoaning of people’s tendency to be disgusted by it.
There is a good chance Williams wrote the poem from personal experience after having observed the ripening of an apple firsthand. Maybe he actually placed some fruit outside his house, hoping someone might also appreciate it or even reach out to take it. Either way
The poem’s tone is one of reverence and awe. Every bit of Williams’ imagery is devoted to spotlighting with great detail the splendor that the speaker views the apple with. Diction such as “lovely,” “perfect,” and “unspoiled” all support such an interpretation of the poem’s tone.
Throughout the poem, Williams juxtaposes a variety of words and images to create paradoxical descriptions of the apple. This is a reflection of the speaker’s seemingly ironic adoration of a rotting apple — lauding praise upon something usually thrown into the trash. Phrases like “beautifully and completely / rotten” and “unspoiled surface” are paradoxical expressions of the speaker’s appreciation for a decaying piece of fruit.
Similar Poems
- ‘In a Station of the Metro’ by Ezra Pound – is the quintessential Imagist poem. Using very few words, he paints a clear and unforgettable image.
- ‘I Hear An Army’ by James Joyce – a lyrical poem that expresses the lamentation of lost love.
- ‘A Lady’ by Amy Lowell – contains a speaker’s analysis of the life, appearance, and worth of an old woman.
