This Is Just To Say Spoof: Complete Guide

The Art of the "This Is Just To Say" Spoof: Why One Tiny Poem Inspired Thousands of Parodies

You've probably seen it. That short, almost embarrassingly simple poem about eating someone's plums. The original poem is only three lines long, yet it spawned an entire subgenre of poetic comedy. So what's the deal? And then, almost inevitably, the response — someone writing back, flipping the script, or twisting it into something completely absurd. Why does "This Is Just To Say" invite parody like almost no other poem in the English language?

Here's what most people don't realize: the poem's very simplicity is what makes it so ripe for spoofing. Consider this: it's a blank canvas. Even so, it's an open door. And writers, comedians, and internet wits have walked through that door in every possible direction.

What Is a "This Is Just To Say" Spoof?

A "This Is Just To Say" spoof is any creative response, parody, or imitation of William Carlos Williams' famous poem, which reads:

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox

and which you were probably saving for breakfast

Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

The spoof takes this structure — the confession, the apology, the oddly tender tone — and applies it to something else entirely. Sometimes it's a response poem. Sometimes it's a complete inversion. Sometimes it's just absurd. But it always, in some way, nods to that original three-line confession.

You'll find these spoofs everywhere: literary magazines, Twitter threads, Reddit comments, greeting cards, and definitely in the comment sections of any poem discussion online. They've become a kind of shared cultural shorthand. Mention "this is just to say" and half the room knows exactly what you mean.

The Response Poem Tradition

The most common type of spoof is the "response" — someone writing as if they're the person who left the note, or the person discovering the plums (or whatever food) is gone.

These responses often play with the original's tone. Even so, the original is almost painfully polite — "Forgive me" — even as it admits to a small transgression. Think about it: response poems might be angry, comedic, romantic, or melancholic. They might take the premise seriously or absolutely destroy it for laughs.

The Structural Parody

Then there's the purely structural approach. A breakup note. Practically speaking, writers keep the rhythm, the short lines, the confession-apology format, but replace the content with something completely unrelated. Worth adding: a work email. A text message you'd actually send. The humor comes from applying this bizarrely tender poetic form to mundane or inappropriate subjects.

The Meta Spoof

And of course, because internet culture loves to spiral, there are spoofs about the spoofs themselves — poems about writing a "This Is Just To Say" parody, or poems about how everyone's done one already. The self-awareness is part of the joke at this point.

Why Does This Poem Invite Parody More Than Others?

Here's the thing — Williams wrote hundreds of poems. Some are far more technically interesting, more experimental, more "important" in literary terms. But none of them got the spoof treatment like this one. Why?

Part of it is pure accessibility. You can hold the entire poem in your head after one read. That said, there's no obscure vocabulary, no complex allusions, no need for a PhD to get it. Now, it's three short stanzas. That means anyone can play with it.

But there's something else. Now, that's weird! It's a strange thing to find beautiful. Someone ate your fruit and left a note apologizing, and somehow this tiny domestic moment feels profound. The poem has this weird emotional quality — it's simultaneously deeply intimate and strangely formal. And when something feels both simple and strangely sacred, the instinct to mess with it becomes almost irresistible.

There's also the fact that the poem is essentially a non-event. Nothing happens. Someone ate plums. Plus, that's it. So there's this huge gap between the poem's emotional weight and its actual subject matter. Writers see that gap and think: what if I filled it with something ridiculous instead?

How to Write a "This Is Just To Say" Spoof

Want to try your hand at one? Here's how the best ones work.

Start With the Structure (But Don't Be a Slave to It)

The original has a very specific rhythm: short lines, a confession, a brief justification, an apology. You don't need to match it line-for-line, but keep that basic shape in mind. Which means the confession-apology structure is the engine. Lose it and you're just writing a short poem about food.

Find the Right Subject

The best spoofs pick subjects that create an interesting tension with the poem's tender, apologetic tone. The original is about something sweet and innocent (fruit). The funniest spoofs are about something that shouldn't be sweet and innocent — something awkward, crude, or completely mundane.

Think about what foods or situations have strong emotional associations. Leftovers. A specific kind of snack that triggers someone. Someone eating your takeout. The more specific and personal, the better.

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Match the Tone (Or Deliberately Don't)

You have two main paths:

Dead serious: Write a response that treats the original's emotional register with complete sincerity. Someone actually did eat your food and they're genuinely sorry. The humor comes from the earnestness.
Completely absurd: Go the opposite direction. Use the form for something wildly inappropriate — a confession about something that definitely doesn't deserve a gentle apology.

Keep It Short

The original is 24 lines. On the flip side, most good spoofs are similar length. Resist the urge to over-explain or add context. Worth adding: the power of the original is its brevity. Your spoof should feel like a note, not an essay.

Common Mistakes That Weaken the Spoof

Here's where most attempts fall flat.

Trying too hard to be clever. The original works because it's sincere. If your spoof is constantly winking at the audience — "look, I'm doing the poem!" — it loses the magic. Let the premise do the work.

Forgetting the apology. The "Forgive me" is essential. Without that note of genuine, slightly awkward tenderness, you're just writing a list of foods.

Being too obscure. If someone doesn't know the original, your spoof should still be funny. Don't rely entirely on the reference. The best ones work on their own terms too.

Over-explaining in the text. Don't add a title that says "This Is Just To Say Parody." Don't add a footnote. Let it exist as the note itself.

Practical Tips for Writing One That Actually Lands

A few things that separate the memorable spoofs from the forgettable ones:

Pick a food people feel strongly about. Cold pizza. The last donut. Someone's special dessert. Food with emotional weight gets a better reaction than random fruit.

Consider the perspective. The original is written by the plum-eater. But the funniest versions are often written by the plum-owner discovering the crime. Or by someone responding to a response. Playing with perspective creates freshness.

Use the rhythm. Read the original out loud. There's a specific cadence — those short lines, the pause after "cold." Your spoof doesn't need to match it perfectly, but it should feel like it could exist in the same world.

Embrace the awkwardness. The poem works because it's a slightly weird thing to write someone. Your spoof should preserve that slightly odd, overly polite energy. That's what makes it charming rather than just a list of foods.

FAQ

Do I need to reference the original poem explicitly? Not necessarily. The best spoofs work purely through structural imitation — if someone reads it and thinks "this feels like that poem," you've done your job. You don't need to name-drop Williams or include the word "plums."

Is it only about food? Almost always, yes. The food element is central to the original's charm. But some writers have stretched it to include drinks or other consumable items. Just know that stepping too far from the food premise starts to feel less like a spoof and more like a different kind of poem.

Can I write a serious response, or does it have to be funny? You can absolutely write a sincere response. Some of the most powerful versions are the ones that take the form completely seriously — a real note left for a roommate, a partner, a family member. The humor isn't mandatory. The form can carry genuine emotion.

Has everything already been done? It might feel that way, but no. The beauty of this poem is that it's so simple it can absorb infinite variations. Your specific voice, your specific situation, your specific food grievances — that's never been done exactly that way before.

Is it still funny if I've never read the original? Probably less funny, honestly. The spoof works because the audience knows the original and expects a certain kind of poem. Without that expectation, it's just a short note about food. The reference is part of the joke.

The Bottom Line

The "This Is Just To Say" spoof endures because it sits at this perfect intersection: a poem simple enough for anyone to know, strange enough to feel worth mocking, and intimate enough to invite response. It's a door that Williams left open almost accidentally, and writers have been walking through it for decades.

The best ones aren't trying to be clever. They're just finding a tiny, specific truth — about food, about apology, about the weird way we communicate small regrets — and wrapping it in a form that somehow makes even the most mundane confession feel worth writing down.

So next time someone eats your leftovers, don't just send a angry text. Because of that, see if you can make them laugh, or apologize, or both. So write a poem. Which means leave a note. That's the whole game.