Poe.e.tryis Cummings

Emily PetersHelaina ChristieJustine BooradyBecky Gohsler

e.e. cummings 1894-1962

this is the garden: colours come and go,... (IX)this is the garden:colours come and go,frail azures fluttering from night's outer wingstrong silent greens serenely lingering,absolute lights like baths of golden snow.This is the garden:pursed lips do blowupon cool flutes within wide glooms,and sing(of harps celestial to the quivering string)invisible faces hauntingly and slow.

This is the garden. Time shall surely reapand on Death's blade lie many a flower curled,in other lands where other songs be sung;yet stand They here enraptured,as amongThe slow deep trees perpetual of sleepsome silver-fingered fountain steals the world.

Biography His real name is Edward Estlin Cummings Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard-met avant garde poets and artists

Inspirations

Joy Farm His father World War I Marriages/ Love

Joy Farm

Marion Morehouse WWI

Structure Punctuation Free verse Senses Unpredictable Common Themes: Love and

Relationships, Nature and War

“Enter No”enter no(silence is the blood whose fleshis singing)silence:but unsinging. Inspectral such hugest how hush,one

dead leaf stirring makes a crash

-far away(as far as alive)liesapril;and i breathe-move-and-seem someperpetually roaming whylessness-

autumn has gone:will winter never come?

o come,terrible anonymity;enfoldphantom me with the murdering minus of cold-open this ghost with millionary knives of wind-scatter his nothing all over what angry skies and

gently(very whiteness:absolute peace,never imaginable mystery)descend

Literary Devices

Symbolism Personification Metaphors Alliteration Similes Rhyme

Impressed Critics “Cummings's innovations in other forms and media are less sure

and significant, but he is nonetheless a refreshing influence.”-Paul Christensen

“He wants us to let the images and sounds flood into us in intuitive sequence.”- Norman Freidman

“Further, spacing of key words allows puns which would otherwise be impossible. Some devices, such as the use of lowercase letters at the beginnings of lines … allow a kind of distortion that often re-enforces that of the syntax … All these devices have the effect of jarring the reader, of forcing him to examine experience with fresh eyes.”-Bethany K. Dumas

Un-impressed Critics

‘Cummings’ consistent attitude in all of his work was “condemning mankind while idealizing the individual.”- David Penberthy

“His later poems included an abundance of second-rate imitations.”- James Dickey

“His later, more conservative poetry came under attack for anti-Semitism, a charge that is still debated.” –enotes

“Cummings’ style did not change or develop much through out his career, and he has been faulted by some for poor artist growth.”- Michael Webster

“I carry your heart with me”

i carry your heart with me(i carry it inmy heart)i am never without it(anywherei go you go,my dear; and whatever is doneby only me is your doing,my darling)i fearno fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i wantno world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meantand whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows(here is the root of the root and the bud of the budand the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which growshigher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

We agree:

“Further, spacing of key words allows puns which would otherwise be impossible. Some devices, such as the use of lowercase letters at the beginnings of lines … allow a kind of distortion that often re-enforces that of the syntax … All these devices have the effect of jarring the reader, of forcing him to examine experience with fresh eyes.”-Bethany K. Dumas

These do ‘jar reader’ and claim their attention Makes reader examine poem more closely with ‘fresh eyes’

“Cummings’ style did not change or develop much through out his career, and he has been faulted by some for poor artist growth.”- Michael Webster

Cummings had a consistent style and structure

We disagree:

Cummings’ consistent attitude in all of his work was “condemning mankind while idealizing the individual.”- David Penberthy

Does not condemn mankind. “All In Green Went My Love Riding” is an example.

Does not idealize in most cases, shows no hint of wishing that humans were a certain way- just describes with positive detail.

“Little Tree” little silent Christmas treeyou are so littleyou are more like a flowerwho found you in the green forestand were you very sorry to come away?see i will comfort youbecause you smell so sweetlyi will kiss your cool barkand hug you safe and tightjust as your mother would,only don't be afraidlook the spanglesthat sleep all the year in a dark boxdreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,put up your little armsand i'll give them all to you to holdevery finger shall have its ringand there won't be a single place dark or unhappythen when you're quite dressedyou'll stand in the window for everyone to seeand how they'll stare!oh but you'll be very proudand my little sister and i will take handsand looking up at our beautiful treewe'll dance and sing"Noel Noel"