What are your thoughts about the poems & works of ee cummings?

Question

I was required to read & analyze some of his works in high school (thank you, RHS). For the most part his work is pretty abstract and esoteric, often too much so for my tastes, and yet...

His poem "me up at does" has haunted me since I first read it, and involuntarily memorized it, over 40 years ago. Others of his works are also very profound in my estimation.

What are your thoughts about and experiences with his work?

(you can find a compilation of his work here:
http://www.poemhunter.com/ee-cummings/ )

Additional Details

Thanks for the comment, Conan...

cummings was not dislexic. He was a ground-breaking poet in the 60's who challenged grammatical dogmas. He experimented with meter, grammer, line, etc. in the belief that language should be at our service, to convey information and emotion, rather than us being slaves to our language. You'll notice he signed his name "e e cummings" - no caps, no periods. His theory was that case & punctuation should only be used to convey meaning, or emotion, so why capitalize or punctuate his name? (in deference to him, I use his name as he did when I refer to him)

cummings could use this technique brilliantly but sometimes, like all experiments can fail, it became too esoteric and distracted from his work. There were many other poets of the time who played with language too, mostly creating trash and nonsense IMHO.

Some of cummings works are brilliant though, in so many ways. Check 'em out!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

i never read ee cummings. i just looked at (Me up at does) . was cummings dyslexic ? I am slightly so and it caused me to think he was looking at the dying mouse and took the mouse's view. I may look at the other poems later. Thanks for the exposure.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

All were "best answers." I chose yours because you took the time to read a new work, and found a new, interesting, and I think original allegory about the "dyslexic" nature of our inner conflict between necessity and compassion.

Good answers & thanks to all.

Answer 2

I like him...He is my mom's favorite poet.......I tend to like sylvia plath more...I like "am was"

Answer 3

I am not familiar with much of the work of ee cummings but I did look up "me up at does".I can understand why this has remained with you for years, it is quite profound. It really made me think, the poisoned mouse asking "What have I done, you wouldn't have". All the poor thing was doing was looking for some food to eat, which is what we humans would do as well if we were hungry - quite memorable

Answer 4

Somewhat Dali yet not. I enjoy his informal random make me focus so I follow style.

The poem you mention is a fave of mine as well. Such logic and honest assesment (we know it's honest because a mouse...associate CHURCH mouse... and a church mouse is honest) And now a victim too... yeah I carry the bugs outside no squish and swerve to miss em during turantula crossing season.

I am never sure if he was laughing at his readers or just life in general and I always bite my lip because he exposes us all to look foolish as I dont think there was alot of deeper meaning hidden in the randomness. I do prefer more structure in poetry but cummings was kinda urban cool too

Answer 5

My favorite is "i sing of olaf glad and big." But I've never understood the last line. What do you make of it?

(I can't reproduce it here, because of the profanity.)