Thread: e.e cummings

Anyone here like this guy? I think he's awesome though fragmented in some poems.

A very long time since I read him but I remember getting a lot of pleasure from Just Spring "when the world is puddlewonderful". Then there was the one about the girls going down to the sea and each finding what they deserved; the taxi drivers rant about "civilizedemlittleyellowbastards" and "a politician is an arse upon which everyone has sat except a man". Must be most of 40 years since I read that stuff, no , more than, time I went back for another look, thanks for the reminder.

Is one of his poems in that book " Walk two moons"? Parker and I read that book together.

I have a book of his poetry that I have misplaced and have been looking all over to find. I like his work. He is one of the writers that I feel opened the door allowing us to express ourselves poetically outside conventional methods.

I find it amusing to read his poems, try and find the "mistakes" and feel the joy in knowing that he knew he did that.

Ah, Cummings, you idiot bastard.

Nothing can surpass the mystery of stillness.

I've never been such a big fan of poetry and always had to get friends to help me the two times we had to do poetry projects -- once in middle school and once in high school. Ironically, I asked the same friends both times.

However, I love e.e. cummings. His poetry is just so unconventional and fresh and true. Love. xDDD

e. e. cummings is wonderful. My favorite poem by him is No Thanks

may i feel said he
(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she

but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)

I agree with SadLuck and here's my other fav:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
................................................... i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and 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 bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than 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)

~ e.e. cummings

i cheated on the spacing for L5, dunno how to do with this forum, need html, sry e.e.

yes, that one's lovely ...

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than 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)

~ e.e. cummings

and i'm not usually a fan of love poems

I love e.e. cummings' stuff, he's definitely one of my favorites. The poem that really got me interested in his work was Buffalo Bill's.

Buffalo Bill 's
defunct
who used to
ride a watersmooth-silver
stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat


Jesus
he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blueeyed boy
Mister Death

It's just too bad that the form gets messed up when you try to post it, that's really the most important part of the poem.

Yeah, old e.e. was the original anti-capitalist.

Here's one of his Greatest Hits.... VERY timely.

i sing of Olaf glad and big
whose warmest heart recoiled at war:
a conscientious object-or

his wellbelov'd colonel(trig
westpointer most succinctly bred)
took erring Olaf soon in hand;
but--though an host of overjoyed
noncoms(first knocking on the head
him)do through icy waters roll
that helplessness which others stroke
with brushes recently employed
anent this muddy toiletbowl,
while kindred intellects evoke
allegiance per blunt instruments--
Olaf(being to all intents
a corpse and wanting any rag
upon what God unto him gave)
responds,without getting annoyed
"I will not kiss your fucking flag"

straightway the silver bird looked grave
(departing hurriedly to shave)

but--though all kinds of officers
(a yearning nation's blueeyed pride)
their passive prey did kick and curse
until for wear their clarion
voices and boots were much the worse,
and egged the firstclassprivates on
his rectum wickedly to tease
by means of skilfully applied
bayonets roasted hot with heat--
Olaf(upon what were once knees)
does almost ceaselessly repeat
"there is some shit I will not eat"

our president,being of which
assertions duly notified
threw the yellowsonofabitch
into a dungeon,where he died

Christ(of His mercy infinite)
i pray to see;and Olaf,too

preponderatingly because
unless statistics lie he was
more brave than me:more blond than you.

Funny cummings came up because yesterday when my internet connection was down I was sorting through some poems and came up with this one.

I wrote it for a contest to create a cummings-like poem. The title was stipulated, as well as the structure you see here.


No Darkness Where


There is no darkness where you step
-despite that light is no proof against dark-
There is no darkness when you sleep
-though night presses in on our tiny golded light-
You see no drench of darkness
-as the moon slides down to blue and the sun to yellow clouds-
It does not press in close to you
-as dark flows into the cavity light creates in the world-
When you come to me the darkness slinks back away from you
-the night opens around us as sleep opens into dream-
When you leave the darkness follows you
-tracing the glow of your footprint and leaving me in white sleep-


You stuffed me a pillow that floats high above the water
-I stay quick and dry on your nimbus of hair-
You place your feet surely, step only on stones
-and not sink in the flood because you don't see the dank depths-
You float upwards like a bubble of fresh breath
-and I swim upwards inside it, wobbling silvery towards the light-
You spread wide your arms and the waters part before me
-you spread wide your legs and the light bursts out like birdsong-
You glide over dark currents, trail an airy wake of white foam
-widening around the night ocean like a flight of lace swans-
You move and the darkness flows elsewhere
-a candle of flame dancing in the wind that blows between the stars-




.

I adore e. e. cummings. Favorite poet, hands down.

When he published "No Thanks" he dedicated it to the 12 publishers who had previously rejected it. What a guy.

I'm not really into poetry, in the sense that I won't go looking to read any. But once in a while, I stumble across one and it makes my day. This was one such poem that I stumbled across years ago by E. E. Cummings:

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

No matter how many times I read it, I still get chills.