Poem of the Day: "For the Poem Paterson" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month

The Songs of Eretz Poem of the Day for August 27, 2014 is "For the Poem Paterson" by William Carlos Williams, Poet of the Month.  The poem was taken from The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams (1988).  The text of the poem may be found here: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/poem-paterson-3-st-valentine.  A brief biography of Williams and references may be found here:  http://eretzsongs.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-songs-of-eretz-poet-of-month-for.html. 

"For the Poem Paterson" is the first rhyming poem of Williams' that we have examined this month.  Note that the rhymes are both end-line and within lines--woven into the variable feet of the piece.  The choice of the word "stave" rather than the expected "save" in the second quatrain is interesting and, I admit, enigmatic.  Perhaps it refers to the act of penetration.  The playful eroticism and bawdy tone create a whimsical quality for a Valentine's Day greeting.