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e.e. cummings

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Rose Kolarich
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I can never get enough of EE poems, Saffron. On "if i love you": I like this one too (but more hesitantly), I think it'll take me a while to make sense of those metaphors. I guess he's trying to get across the idea of a new love affair, thus the sweet hesitancy and the interruption of himself by himself after the first line, he's too nervous to finish his thought coherently. My favourite part is the simple "(shyly)" interruption, actually I think this single word sort of embodies the whole poem for me.
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Saffron

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Rose Kolarich wrote: My favourite part is the simple "(shyly)" interruption, actually I think this single word sort of embodies the whole poem for me.
Me too! When I read "(shyly)" I think of the thought: Do I dare to hope that this is possible and the shyness of first realizing that feelings are reciprocated. I think this is one of the most delicious moments in life.

Here's how I break the poem down. If I love you that's good, if you love me, that is better and if we love each other -- what could be better.
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Saffron

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DWill wrote: Did you know that cummings wrote a WW I memoir called The Enormous Room? I've been curious about it. It might be difficult to find, though. (Oh boy, am I still pre-Internet at heart.)
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You can find an electronic copy of this book online.

The Enormous Room
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DWill

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You have got to be KIDDING! You know what this means--it means I can't hide behind the excuse of not having things to read available.I never thought the work itself would be online. It's pretty darn obscure. But thanks, Saffron....
Will
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Saffron

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1(a... (a leaf falls on loneliness)
e.e. cummings

1(a

le
af
fa
ll

s)
one
l

iness
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realiz

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Are most of his poems sex poems? They are great. This one humourous.

she being Brand

she being Brand

-new;and you
know consequently a
little stiff i was
careful of her and(having

thoroughly oiled the universal
joint tested my gas felt of
her radiator made sure her springs were O.

K.)i went right to it flooded-the-carburetor cranked her

up,slipped the
clutch(and then somehow got into reverse she
kicked what
the hell)next
minute i was back in neutral tried and

again slo-wly;bare,ly nudg. ing(my

lev-er Right-
oh and her gears being in
A 1 shape passed
from low through
second-in-to-high like
greasedlightning)just as we turned the corner of Divinity

avenue i touched the accelerator and give

her the juice,good

(it

was the first ride and believe i we was
happy to see how nice she acted right up to
the last minute coming back down by the Public
Gardens i slammed on

the
internalexpanding
&
externalcontracting
brakes Bothatonce and

brought allofher tremB
-ling
to a:dead.

stand-
;Still)
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realiz

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I just decided what I want for Christmas, 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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giselle

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this is really good stuff, I like the lack of structure, or maybe there is structure but maybe it is obscure?
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Saffron

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realiz wrote:I just decided what I want for Christmas, e.e.cummings

my sweet old etcetera
What a great poem -- I now, also want e.e. cummings for Christmas!
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Thomas Hood
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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
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