Final answer:
William Carlos Williams defined the potential subjects for poetry as the everyday experiences and details of American life. His works exemplify precise language and organic structures, emphasizing clarity and compression without redundancy to reveal universal truths. He inspired others to refine their poetry with the same level of meticulousness he applied to his craft.
Step-by-step explanation:
William Carlos Williams devised a unique perspective on what is worthy of being a poem, deeply influenced by his medical background and his environment. Breaking from traditional forms, Williams believed that the subject matter of poetry could be found in the everyday, the local, and the particular, using language and rhythms rooted in American speech. He described a poem as “a small (or large) machine made of words,” stressing the importance of economy and precision, devoid of redundancies. He also coined the phrasing "variable foot" to articulate his approach to poetic rhythm, allowing for organic structures that reflect the natural patterns of American vernacular.
Williams’ work is exemplified by his attention to the “details of urban life,” the focus on ordinary moments, and the use of clear, sharp language to evince complex emotions and universal truths. Rejecting the internationalist leanings of his contemporaries like Pound and Eliot, Williams sought to reveal the universal by honing in on the specific truths discovered in the American grain. This philosophy not only infused his poetry but also informed his teaching, advising poets to "cut and cut again" to achieve the same level of craftsmanship and precision in their work, making every word count.