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The Poetry of E. E. Cummings 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 - namely, ideograms. Cummings'
most difficult form of prose is probably the ideogram; it is extremely terse and
it combines both visual and auditory elements. There may be sounds or characters
on the page that cannot be verbalized or cannot convey 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 that Cummings is trying to emphasize the concept of
self-importance (Tri 36).
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