some e.e. cummings

my sweet old etcetera
aunt lucy during the recent

war could and what
is more did tell you just
what everybody was fighting

for,
my sister

isabel created hundreds
(and
hundreds) of socks not to
mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers

etcetera wristers etcetera, my
mother hoped that

i would die etcetera
bravely of course my father used
to become hoarse talking about how it was
a privilege and if only he
could meanwhile my

self etcetera lay quietly
in the deep mud et

cetera
(dreaming,
et
cetera, of
Your smile
eyes knees and of your Etcetera)



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since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
--the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

- both poems from 100 selected poems by e.e. cummings
_____________________________________________________


being a sentimentalist, i chose these two poems.

when cummings wrote his poems, did he aspire to greatness or to just write? was he influenced by others? had he studied poetry extensively? when viewing his work, did he see through the lens of structural rules established through academic study? was every word positioned strategically, or was the process more organic- an innate talent?

i'm sure there has been exposition of his method in some book or article out there. maybe he has discussed it himself. i guess i'll take a look around.

if anyone reads this and wants to add a favorite cummings poem to this post or information about his method, please do.