Max Morris

anyone lived in a pretty how town

by ee cummings

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

If there ever was a rebel in poetry, it was ee cummings. The man didn't even use punctuation or capitalization, who's ever seen the beat. That quirky trademark of cummings is the first example of rebellion in this poem. By disobeying the status quo of not only current poetry but the rules of the english language at large, he is already displaying a sense of rebellion after just one word of this poem. The content only adds to this theme. "anyone lived in a pretty how town" is a condemnation of the conformity of suburban society. The protagonists of our poem are "anyone" and "noone." This twosome are different and disliked by the "someones" and "everyones" of their community. One day, they both pass, but as evidenced by 8th stanza, their lives were truly fulfilling. The rest of the community are doomed to repetition of their dull lives, as evidenced by the exact repetition of stanza 2 in stanza 9. Conformity, to cummings, is a fate even worse than death.