1. e. e. cummings Page 675 CCRS – RL.11-12.1; RL.11-12.4;
RL ; L ; L ; W

2. e.e. cummings
Cummings found guidelines in the imagist manifesto that allowed him to experiment and to break old rules.
Cummings is known for unconventional syntax and usage – punctuation, use of parts of speech, spacing, capitalization, etc.
Cummings had his name legally changed to be e.e. cummings in all lower-case letters.

3. Literary Terms Syntax – the way words are arranged in a sentence
Rhyme scheme – pattern of rhyme

4. Literary Terms
Approximate rhyme – words do not have exact chiming sounds but repeat only some sounds
Internal rhyme – rhyme inside a line of poetry

5. Literary Terms Simile – comparison using like, as, than, or resembles
Synesthesia – the juxtaposition of one sensory image with another that appeals to a different sense
Paradox – a seemingly self-contradictory statement that actually reveals a truth

6. Quickwrite
Write about a time you were at a loss for words.

7. “what if a much of a which of a wind” (p. 676)
Cummings is know for using verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as nouns. Find at least five examples in the poem where he uses other parts of speech as nouns. Note the word and the line number.
Find an example of internal rhyme. Note the words and the line number.
To what three kinds of destruction is Cummings referring in the poem?
Identify the rhyme scheme of the first eight lines.

8. “what if a much of a which of a wind”
What is the tone of the poem?
Identify one possible theme for the poem.

9. “somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond” (p. 677)
Line 2 contains an example of synesthesia. Find another example in the poem. Quote the line and identify the line number.
How is line 3 a paradox?
Find an example of a simile. Identify the line number or numbers.
Translate the last line of the poem: “not even the rain, has such small hands.”

10. Activity P. 678 Writing – Images in Prose
Read the instructions in your textbook
Write a well-written descriptive paragraph. Make sure your paragraph is clearly organized either spatially (where items are located) or by order of importance.
Read “Miracles Are to Come” (p. 677)
Write a paragraph summarizing the work.