[anyone lived in a pretty how town]
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain
E.E. Cummings, “[anyone lived in a pretty how town]” from Complete Poems 1904-1962, edited by George J. Firmage. Copyright 1926, 1954, 1991 by the Trustees for the E.E. Cummings Trust. Copyright © 1985 by George James Firmage. Reprinted with the permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation.
This poem both embodies rebellion and conformity. On one hand, the style of the poem itself is a sort of rebellion. E.E. Cummings defies the traditional rules of syntax and punctuation and creates an interesting and whimsical poem. For example, he omits most capitalization and punctuation creates nonsensical lines such as, "he sang his didn't he danced his did." In this way, Cummings is a very unconventional poet with a distinct style.
However, the subject matter of the poem is very much about conformity. In the poem, Cummings creates the characters of "anyone" and "noone," a happy couple living in an a "pretty how town." This town and its mass of "someones" and "everyones" are portrayed as ordinary and unremarkable. The "busy folk" kept to themselves and "cared for anyone not at all." The townspeople's lifestyle is described a rhythmic, routine and unchanging. The repetition of the seasons "summer autumn winter spring" suggests the passage of time as the characters all pass through the various stages of life (childhood, marriage, death, etc.) in the same way. The ambiguous titles of "someones" and "everyones" and "anyone" and "noone" suggest anonymity, as all of the characters in the people appear to be mere copies of one another. This ultimately reflects the conformity of the townspeople to the society in which they live.
This poem both embodies rebellion and conformity. On one hand, the style of the poem itself is a sort of rebellion. E.E. Cummings defies the traditional rules of syntax and punctuation and creates an interesting and whimsical poem. For example, he omits most capitalization and punctuation creates nonsensical lines such as, "he sang his didn't he danced his did." In this way, Cummings is a very unconventional poet with a distinct style.
However, the subject matter of the poem is very much about conformity. In the poem, Cummings creates the characters of "anyone" and "noone," a happy couple living in an a "pretty how town." This town and its mass of "someones" and "everyones" are portrayed as ordinary and unremarkable. The "busy folk" kept to themselves and "cared for anyone not at all." The townspeople's lifestyle is described a rhythmic, routine and unchanging. The repetition of the seasons "summer autumn winter spring" suggests the passage of time as the characters all pass through the various stages of life (childhood, marriage, death, etc.) in the same way. The ambiguous titles of "someones" and "everyones" and "anyone" and "noone" suggest anonymity, as all of the characters in the people appear to be mere copies of one another. This ultimately reflects the conformity of the townspeople to the society in which they live.
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