The present study shows that the process of composition is of foremost consideration and importance in William Stafford's poetics, and that his idea of the creative process can be understood as being composed of an organic relationship between self, language, and world, and of the writer's continual encounter with those elements during the creative act. The method for presenting a study of William Stafford's poetics in this dissertation comes from an examination of his poetry, essays, and interviews. The results of this examination provide the background for a detailed analysis of each element of the organic relationship--self, language, and world--as it appears in selected poems. Reading Stafford's poetry as a series of encounters with self, language, and world offers a view of Stafford as a writer deeply engaged in the creative process and provides a way of reading his poetry with greater comprehension and appreciation of his poetic vision.Chapter One, "Poetry As Process," provides an overview of the debate which began in the mid-1950s between the proponents of New Criticism and the shapers of the "new poetry." Though Stafford was not a spokesman for the new poetry, his poetry and essays about the nature of the creative process share many of the characteristics which have come to be associated with the new poetry, especially the revived discussions of "open" and "organic" form. An analysis of his writings shows that Stafford believes the process of writing to be more important than the end product, the poem, since it is the process of composition which defines the self. For Stafford, creativity is an organic process, consisting of the writer's persistent encounter with self and world as expressed in language.Chapter Two, "Encounter With Self," shows teat, for Stafford, writing is a manifestation of self, and that the self is dynamic rather than static, constantly being shaped by experience. The chapter shows that Stafford views the writing process as a highly subjective experience whereby he attempts to articulate his most deeply felt intuitions and feelings. An analysis of selected poems reveals that Stafford views poetry as a liberating force, a way of discovering the authentic self, with the poem becoming an extension of self.In Chapter Three, "Encounter With Language," Stafford's view of language is examined, revealing his belief that a trusting acceptance of the language of every day speech leads to the discovery of a coherence that exists in language. Since writing, for Stafford, is an attempt to uncover those mysteries which exist in daily language, he is suspicious of any prescribed rule or form that impedes the natural flow of language. He affirms intuition and imagination, rather than reason, as guides.Chapter Four, "Encounter With the World," examines the third element of the organic relationship, the world. An analysis of his poetry shows Stafford constantly working toward those moments of spiritual and mystical awakening. Because of his close attention to his immediate experience, Stafford's poems become small stories, interpreting the world for all who share in language and experience. For Stafford, imagination allows the self, through language, to construct a view of the world.