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.” EILEEN DOYLE-SAMAY AND LISA BOND

BIOGRAPHY Born Edward Estlin Cummings, Cambridge, MA October 14 th, 1894 Father was a Harvard professor, then a Unitarian minister Mother 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 period Called hard to read and understand Accepted by his peers Said he settled into his work and never advanced/matured Younger people liked his work: simplicity of words and topic

OUR PERSONAL OPINIONS Agree that he is hard to understand However, 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 Symbolism Powerful Imagery Similes Repetition Connotation Oxymoronic juxtaposition

POETIC STRUCTURE Disjointed structure Punctuation and Capitalization First line justified Volume of work= different stylistic periods No titles on most of poems