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Analysis Of E. Ee Cummings

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Edward Estlin Cummings, better known as E.E. Cummings was an American poet whose experimentation lead to innovative, unique pieces of literature. Involving “language of the streets” as well as “eccentric punctuation and phrases” allowed him to develop his own personal style which differed greatly from the traditional style of poetry (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica 1).

Known for his concise and sparing works of literature, Cummings’ recognizable style is displayed in his works not only in the way he uses the form but also in the way he uses words, odd grammar and punctuation, which differentiate his work from traditional poetry. Cummings created his own set of rules for the way literature should be written and his poem “l(a)” is no …show more content…

On the surface, it appears letters were randomly put there in no particular order. The only complete word that is in “l(a)” is the word “one”; it is often thought that one is the loneliest number. Cummings was able to include several references to solidify this message of loneliness in “l(a)” in a well executed manner. To describe and analyze the “aesthetic use of language,” E.E. Cummings’ work offers an “irresistible challenge” one which many have had much difficulty to replicate the “violence to language with such unerring poetic success” (Cureton 213).

Cummings did not want his work to simply be viewed as words on a page, his desire was to construct literature in a way such that it was visually appealing on the page itself. His belief that literature, especially poetry, was to be considered an art for the eyes, not just the mind. He constructed his work in a way to allow the eyes of the reader to easily and fluently move along the poem. Cummings manipulates words and phrases to create “aesthetic use of language.” (Cureton 213).

The poem “l(a)”, was written in a particular form so that there is a hidden image that complements its words. When looking at the surface of the poem, it appears as though he has merely broken up the words, but the

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