---
title: "'To Elsie' from Spring and All (1923) — William Carlos Williams Quote #12 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "'To Elsie' from Spring and All (1923) — a quote by William Carlos Williams."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # 'To Elsie' from Spring and All (1923)

[William Carlos Williams](https://quotesby.net/William-Carlos-Williams)\#12

[Poetry](https://quotesby.net/William-Carlos-Williams/poetry/)[Dedication](https://quotesby.net/topics/dedication/)[Personal](https://quotesby.net/topics/personal/)[Relationship](https://quotesby.net/topics/relationship/)

[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9C%27To%20Elsie%27%20from%20Spring%20and%20All%20%281923%29%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20William%20Carlos%20Williams%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FWilliam-Carlos-Williams%2F12%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9C%27To%20Elsie%27%20from%20Spring%20and%20All%20%281923%29%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20William%20Carlos%20Williams&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FWilliam-Carlos-Williams%2F12%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FWilliam-Carlos-Williams%2F12%2F)

## About this quote

What does it mean?The title addresses a specific person named Elsie, suggesting a personal dedication or portrait.In plain termsIt is a poem directed at someone called Elsie.What can you take from it?Direct address can make poetry feel intimate.

### Where it applies

- writing to a person
- honoring someone
- creating a portrait

### Putting it to work

- write a dedication
- portray a friend
- use direct address

### Questions to consider

- Who matters to you?
- How do you honor others?

### Another view

We do not know who Elsie is without more context.

## More from William Carlos Williams

1. > There's a lot of bastards out there!

[Permalink to quote \#4](https://quotesby.net/William-Carlos-Williams/4/ "Permalink to quote 4")
2. > The art of the poem nowadays is something unstable; but at least the construction of the poem should make sense; you should know where you stand. Many question…

[Permalink to quote \#3](https://quotesby.net/William-Carlos-Williams/3/ "Permalink to quote 3")
3. > What is the use of reading the common news of the day, the tragic deaths and abuses of daily living, when for over half a lifetime we have known that they must…

[Permalink to quote \#2](https://quotesby.net/William-Carlos-Williams/2/ "Permalink to quote 2")

## Related quotes

1. > It is a happy thing that there is no royal road to poetry. The world should know by this time that one cannot reach Parnassus except by flying thither.

[Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://quotesby.net/Gerard-Manley-Hopkins)[Gerard Manley Hopkins quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Gerard-Manley-Hopkins/1/ "Permalink to quote 1")
2. > This is for Larry Flynt.

[Larry Flynt](https://quotesby.net/Larry-Flynt)[Larry Flynt quote \#2](https://quotesby.net/Larry-Flynt/2/ "Permalink to quote 2")
3. > Being with you and not being with you is the only way I have to measure time.

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://quotesby.net/Jorge-Luis-Borges)[Jorge Luis Borges quote \#28](https://quotesby.net/Jorge-Luis-Borges/28/ "Permalink to quote 28")

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