my
favorite volume of poetry by Edward Estlin Cummings has to be ViVa.
Most of the poems I am going to present to you here are from that particular
volume. If you've never read him before, keep in mind; e.e.cummings
didn't write for your English teacher. He wrote for human beings.
Each bit of punctuation, each space, the placement of each word .. he is
painting a picture for you. He is directing your train of thought
with the same deliberate movement of a conductor's baton.
somewhere
i have never travelled,gladly beyond (from
"ViVa")
i
like my body when it is with your (from
"& [AND]")
be
unto love as rain is unto colour;create (from
"ViVa")
lady
will you come with me into (from
"ViVa")
i
sing of Olaf glad and big (from
"ViVa")
If you're still with me, here's my take on Edward.
I
think he was a beautiful man. An original thinker to the point where
typwritten pages of poetry did more than bind themselves to the rules of
the English language -- or any other, for that matter. They were
perfectly free. (Now .. I know other poets have broken the rules
.. but I think e.e. did it best.)