Beginning of Essay
William ,on first read, is the story of a man on a sad journey, leaving a loved one and riding a horse that seems more reluctant to go than he does. Upon second evaluation one must ask, why would it pain the horse to leave? The answer is that the horse represents ....

Middle of Essay
.... is parting with. The horse is, in a sense, the speaker's heart, reluctant to keep moving, although it must bear his grief. The speaker, in stanzas 9-12, frequently gets frustrated and tries to force himself on, as shown by the "bloody spur" which indicates repeated use. The groan that the beast makes from the spurring is "more sharp to me[the speaker] than spurring to his[the beast's] side". The more the speaker tries to force himself along, the worse his pain. Knowing this, in stanzas 13-14, the speaker says, "My grief lies onward, and my joy behind." He is leaving what makes him happy, therefore, he will be sad. No one can be sure for what reason ....