3 of 3

Write now Article Tools

In my experience, college professors are very careful with their words. They do not utter absolutes very often. However, a literature and poetry professor of mine once said that e.e. cumming's poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town" was one of the best poems in the English language. His statement really surprised me. He knows a lot of poetry. I have always loved the poem. It's only when I started to teach the poem did I begin to understand it.

There are poems that you will run across repeatedly if you pursue a degree in literature. "anyone lived in a pretty how town" is one of those poems. I found that I enjoyed e.e.cummings for his original grammar and usage, so I began teaching his poetry at the high school where I work. I asked the students to help me figure this poem out. It is a difficult poem as are many of cumming's poems. Many times I find myself going through convoluted thought patterns to try to derive meaning. Very often it is well worth the effort.

A student in one of my classes suggested that in this poem "anyone" and "noone" are actually characters. I probably should have figured this out sooner, but I was happy to gain some ground toward understanding the poem. This student's idea opened up the poem for me and other students.

The poem is about life and the passage of time. The repetition of the seasons (in different order each time) indicates the passage of time as does the repetition of "sun moon stars rain". He (anyone) lived in a "pretty how town" and the use of "how" (which means what state or condition, reason or purpose) indicates that this could be any town anywhere. "He sang his didn't and danced his did" can mean that life went on and he had successes and failures, as a normal life would.

The second stanza says that the people "cared for anyone not at all". There is a double meaning here in that they were selfish and only cared for themselves and their own lives and that they did not seem to like our character anyone. "They sowed their isn't they reaped their same" is an indictment of the people of the town and possibly all people that use the negative "isn't" in their lives. i.e. "It isn't possible. This work isn't good enough." As a result of this negative view, the people gained nothing but what they and other have always had, the "same". This is sad. No achievements or exceptional people here-they are limited by their choices and lack of vision.

The third stanza discusses children and how "down they forgot as up they grew". Everyone

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Poetry analysis: E. E. Cummings?
We want to hear your view. Write now!