e. e. cummings “i am someone who proudly and humbly affirms that love is the...
TRANSCRIPT
E. E. CUMMINGS“I AM SOMEONE WHO PROUDLY AND HUMBLY AFFIRMS THAT LOVE IS THE MYSTERY-OF-MYSTERIES…THAT AN ARTIST, A MAN, A FAILURE IS…A NATURALLY AND MIRACULOUSLY WHOLE HUMAN BEING…WHOSE ONLY HAPPINESS IS TO TRANSCEND HIMSELF, WHOSE EVERY AGONY IS TO GROW.”
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BIOGRAPHY
Born Edward Estlin Cummings, Cambridge, MA
October 14th, 1894Father was a Harvard professor, then a Unitarian
ministerMother introduced him to writing
Founded Harvard Poetry Society
Through a printers error his signature developed
MORE BIOGRAPHY
Spent time in Paris during military service
became exposed to “sex culture”
Met Pablo Picasso in 1920s – 1930s
First service: imprisonment
Drafted back into army
Had a child with a married woman
Father died in 1926
Relationship with Marion Morehouse
CRITICISMS OF THE CRITICS
Disliked greatly in his time periodCalled hard to read and understandAccepted by his peersSaid he settled into his work and never
advanced/maturedYounger people liked his work: simplicity of words
and topic
OUR PERSONAL OPINIONS
Agree that he is hard to understandHowever, is the beauty of it Need to read multiple times to really understand
Has many different varieties of types of poems
Some are incredibly hard to understand
(Grasshopper)Others are easily comprehendible
LITERARY DEVICES
SymbolismPowerful ImagerySimiles Repetition ConnotationOxymoronic juxtaposition
POETIC STRUCTURE
Disjointed structure
Punctuation and Capitalization
First line justified
Volume of work= different stylistic periods
No titles on most of poems