E. E. Cummings, who was born in 1894 and died in 1962, wrote many poems with unconventional punctuation and capitalization, and unusual line, word, and even letter placements. Cummings' most difficult form of prose is probably the ideogram; it is extremely short and it combines both visual and aural elements. There may be sounds or characters on the page that cannot be said or cannot carry the same message if pronounced and not read. Four of Cummings' poems - l(a, mortals), !blac, and swi illustrate the ideogram form quite well. Cummings utilizes unique syntax in these poems in order to convey messages visually as well as verbally. Although one may think of l(a as a poem of sadness and loneliness, Cummings probably did not intend that. 'This poem is about individuality ; oneness' (Kid 200-1). The theme of oneness can be derived from the numerous instances and forms of the number '1' throughout the poem. First, 'l(a' contains both the number 1 and the singular indefinite article, 'a'; the second line contains the French singular definite article, 'le'; 'll' on the fifth line represents two ones; 'one' on the 7th line spells the number out; the 8th line, 'l', isolates the number; and 'iness', the last line, can mean "the state of being I" - that is, individuality - or "oneness", deriving the "one" from the lowercase roman numeral 'i' (200). Cummings could have simplified this poem drastically ("a leaf falls:/loneliness"), and still conveyed the same verbal message, but he has altered the normal syntax in order that each line should show a 'one' and highlight the theme of oneness. In fact, the whole poem is shaped like a '1' (200). The shape of the poem can also be seen as the path of a falling leaf; the poem drifts down, flipping and altering pairs of letters like a falling leaf gliding, back and forth, down to the ground. The beginning 'l(a' changes to 'le', and 'af' flips to 'fa'. 'll' indicates a quick drop of the leaf, which has slowed by a longer line, 'one'. Finally, the leaf falls into the pile of fallen leaves on the ground, represented by 'iness'. Cummings has written this poem so perfectly that every part of it conveys the message of oneness and individuality (200). In mortals), Cummings vitalizes a trapeze act on paper. Oddly enough, this poem, too, stresses the idea of individualism, or'eachness', as it is stated on line four. Lines 2 and 4, 'climbi' and 'begi', both end leaving the letter 'i' exposed. This is a sign thatCummings is trying to emphasize the concept of self-importance (Tri 36). This poem is an amusing one, as it shows the effects of a trapeze act within the arrangement of the words. On line 10, the space in the word 'open ing' indicates the act beginning, and the empty, static moment before it has fully begun. 'of speeds of' and '&meet&', lines 8 and 12 respectively, show a sort of back-and-forth motion, much like that of the motion of a trapeze swinging. Lines 12 through 15 show the final jump off the trapeze, and 'a/n/d' on lines 17 through 19, represent the deserted trapeze, after the acrobats have dismounted. Finally, '(im' on the last line should bring the reader's eyes back to the top of the poem, where he finds 'mortals)'. Placing '(im' at the end of the poem shows that the performers attain a special type of immortality for risking their lives to create a show of beauty, they attain a special type of immortality (36-7). The circularity of the poem causes a feeling of wholeness or completeness, and may represent the Circle of Life, eternal motion (Fri 26).
Cummings first tightly written ideogram was !blac, a very interesting poem. It starts with '!', which seems to be saying thatsomething deserving that exclamation point occurred anterior to the poem, and the poem is trying objectively to describe certain feelings resulting from '!'. "black against white" is an example of such a description in the poem; the clashing colors create a feeling in sync with '!'. Also, why "(whi)" suggests amusement and wonder, another feeling resulting from '!' (Weg 145). Cummings had written a letter concerning !blac to Robert Wenger, author of The Poetry and Prose of E. E. Cummings (see Works Cited). ...
The human institutions of nobility and dignity are often criticized by satirists. These satirists see these as arbitrary rules that man has placed on himself that do not help, and may even hurt them, in the long run. This point is capitalized upon by Stoddard Malarkey in his poem "The Princess, the Knight, and the Dragon". In the poem Malarkey's...
Elizabeth Bishop's skill as a poet can be clearly seen in the thought-provoking poem entitled Filling Station. She paints the different language levels of poetry with the skill of an artist-- she seems to have an eye for detail as she contrasts the dark and dim reference of a filling station to a more homey, pleasant atmosphere. Bishop aptly arr...
In this poem, Booth teaches his young daughter a lesson about life. At the beginning he tells her to put her faith in someone she can trust, whether that person is him, (her earthly father), a mentor (a coach or teacher), or her Heavenly Father for support. He tells her to 'Spread your arms wide,' to open herself to all she can be; to set her goa...
My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as thought of hemlock I had drunk or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minnute past, and lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness- That thou, light--winged Dryad of the trees, In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadow...
Write an account of a poem which deals with an unusual or unpleasant aspect of life. Show clearly how the poet uses such elements as effective words and vivid images to create something memorable. The poem "Gunpowder Plot" was interesting as its title holds three meanings. The author could have meant an allotment where gunpowder or firewor...