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READ THIS
Cummings resorts to the absolute freedom of words and punctuation to create a poem of perfect joy and
exuberance for life, nature and God. Indeed, he reaches beyond the five senses and relies on his intuition
to reach the fullness of spiritual awakening.
NOTE ON THE POET
ee cummings -- his real name was Edward Estlin -- was born in Massachusetts in 1894. His father was
a professor of Sociology and Political Science at Harvard University but who later became a Unitarian
minister.
Cummings was himself a Harvard graduate, obtaining a Masters degree in English and Classical Studies
in 1916. His intelligence and novel way of thinking, however, caused him to be ostracised and so he found
solace in his poetry.
Although he is known for his flamboyant style of writing, he also published a couple of novels and four
plays -- and was an artist who excelled in both drawing and painting.
Cummings' way of thinking was often transcendental, i.e. he believed it possible to reach an ideal spiritual
state by use of intuition rather than through established religious beliefs. Indeed, he reveals this concept
in "i thank You God for most this amazing".
His poetry was shaped by romantic tradition -- for example, he wrote many sonnets -- but he is best
known for his idiosyncratic style in which he used little punctuation, often wrote in the lowercase and
jumbled up the order of words.
It has been said that his poetry often makes little sense until it is read aloud. On the other hand, several
of his poems reveal his artistic flair in that they are pictures painted in words, e.g.
"r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r".
He was also known for his satire when addressing social issues, but he had a strong bias towards the
exuberance of love, sex and spiritual rebirth.
Cummings died of a stroke on September 3, 1962. He was 68 years of age. He had won many awards
for his work.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes"
- The poet uses small letters throughout, even for his name. Why, then, does he use the upper-case
for "You" and for "God"? (4)
[Need help?]
Apart from the start of sentences and proper nouns, the English language uses the upper-case in two
particular cases -- the personal pronoun "I" and the noun "God' -- possibly because these
are the two most important beings in an Englishman's life.
It is a tradition that the word "God" -- together with any pronoun used to address God -- is written
in the upper-case. Indeed, in religion and prayer, the various pronouns for God -- "Thee" and
"Thou" -- are even written in an archaic form.
It is interesting that Cummings usually addresses himself in the lower case: "ee cummings" and
"i". In doing so, he is probably using the ultimate form of humility.
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- When the poet significantly alters the word order, he causes us to see multiple meanings in his words.
Can you list TWO different meanings in "for most this amazing day"? (2)
[Need help?]
It is possible that the poet is intending: "i thank You for this most amazing day" but he might also
be meaning "i thank You mostly for this amazing day". Can you see any other possible meanings?
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- To what would "the leaping greenly spirits of trees" be referring? (4)
[Need help?]
When you walk into a natural indigenous forest, especially on one of those magical spring or autumn
mornings when the mist clings to the branches, have you ever wondered what it is that provides the
magic? It's the elves who leap about in the trees and play in the grasses! It's the elves who paint magic
everywhere!
Of course, you probably haven't seen them because they are green spirits who often hide when you
approach -- especially if you are one of those philistines who says you don't believe in elves. Next time
you are in a forest, just let your intuition hear and see for you. Then I'm sure you'll find them.
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- What does the poet mean when he says, "for everything which is infinite which is yes"? Why
"yes"? (4)
[Need help?]
"Yes" is the great positive. It's the "i do" or the "i can". It's the light in the dark. It's
the green in the forest. It's the love beyond the hate.
Most people live in a negative world. They always look on the dark side, are always criticising, always
fearing the worst. The minute you say, "YES", however, then suddenly everything is changed.
Your world becomes positive and your spirit lightens up.
And, of course, God is the yes. He is the infinite beyond the finite world that we see. Or, at least, so says
the poet.
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"(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)"
- Why should this be the sun's birthday? (4)
[Need help?]
Every day is the sun's birthday. Every day is the moment to begin again, to put away the past and be
reborn. Every day the sun rises as if it were the beginning of a new life.
A birthday, however, is a special day, a day of joy, a day to be celebrated. If it is the sun's birthday, it is
even more important to celebrate because it is the sun which gives life to everything. Isn't that enough
reason for a birthday party?
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- What is the meaning of "gay"? (2)
[Need help?]
"gay" means happy, exuberant. It only began to take on a different meaning -- referring to
homosexuality -- in about the late 1960s.
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- What does the poet mean by the word "illimitably"? (2)
[Need help?]
"illimitably" means "without limits". In other words, when one allows intuition to influence
one's life, then there are no longer any limits to one's joy and exuberance.
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"how should any -- lifted from the no
of all no tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing thing -- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?"
- Why should the poet mention "tasting touching hearing seeing breathing"? (2)
[Need help?]
These are, of course, the five senses. The poet is therefore pointing out that, once we have freed
ourselves from the senses, we should have no further reason to doubt God. But how is it possible to free
ourselves from the five senses?
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- How is it at all possible to free ourselves from "tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing"? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet is a believer in using one's intuition, the sixth sense. Once we have freed ourselves from the
five senses, he says, we can then rely on the powerful inner sense -- intuition. And it is intuition which
enables us to see God, and everything else that is truly wonderful.
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"(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)"
- Is this a rhyming couplet? (2)
[Need help?]
Does "and" and "opened" rhyme? Not really, not even if you pronounced the words in the
way they would be pronounced in other English dialects. At most, one could say that it nearly rhymes.
Which means that those who claim that this poem is a sonnet are lying to you -- even if it does have 14
lines. In any case, look at the rhythm and at the rhyme throughout this poem. This is certainly no sonnet.
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