Poe(Mo) tR (r) y.e.

I was about to write, "I'm not sure why my thoughts have drifted to poetry lately," but then I remembered, "Duh! Uh, maybe because my sophomores are studying it." Anyway, I don't typically assign the poems below, but for whatever reason I enjoy them. I don't always understand e.e.cummings, but there's something about his craft that is simply intriguing.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes

Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

l(a... (a leaf falls on loneliness)

l(a

le
af
fa
ll

s)
one
l

iness

I think cummings' use of characters in the first poem is clever. Anyone and noone are no longer mindless, generic pronouns; instead, they now have a story, an identity that ties them together. If we read the poem based on what each pronoun literally means, well, then some lines seem particularly sad (and noone stopped to kiss his face); however, when we see that noone is actually a character, who is kissing anyone good-bye, well, then we become witnesses to an intimate moment.

As for the second poem, I love the format. I love how the single leaf literally falls on the word loneliness. There's structural movement, not just figurative movement. Plus, the structure of the poem actually helps me visualize the lone leaf as it drifts from the tree. That single image truly depicts loneliness. How clever.