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
with 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
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
1 - 23 of 23
-
-
For Guest Dragon
cummings is hard to decipher and usually it is only possible to guess at what he is saying. he rarely gives us any certainties.
I think the stanza you refer to is about the people "women and men" who are indifferent to others (sowing) and are similarily treated by others with indifference (reaping).
Jim -
Question
From guest Dragon (contact)
What does the line "sowed their isn't and they reaped their same" mean -
From guest Dragon (contact)
Thanx Morag that explains a lot of things to me. It also helped me to see the inner meaning the poem. -
I don't think the poem means to say that anyone and noone are the cool guys, whereas the 'women and men' are boring types who don't understand. 'Anyone' is just that - any individual. He is special because everyone is special. We don't appreciate this because we all lead such busy lives - we are all the 'women and men' who don't notice things. 'Noone' isn't really no one (one of the most confusing things about this poem), but another architypal person, like anyone. When they get married, for a moment they become public figures: noone becomes someone and anyone becomes everyone. People do seem special when they marry. Then they go back to being noone and anyone, living together, dying and buried together, while life goes on.
-
Explanation
What I understand about this poem is:
-anyone is a guy
-noone is a girl
-they loved each other for who they were
and even in death they were still living the dream
the other group was "women and men"
-they disliked both anyone, and ignored noone
-they were hollow, like they had no meaning, and their dreams stayed in their dreams, they did not live how they chose like anyone and noone
they reaped what they sowed, which was nothing, meaning they recieved nothing
in the end the whole poem was an explanation of how life and time will always continue(ie the four seasons mentioned more than once), and the effect time has on us all -
anyone lived in a pretty how town
From guest mano (contact)
hi can any one help me in rearranging the words in the two opening lines into the order you would expect them usully to follow? -
I first read this poem as a young child, which was a baffling introduction to poetry, but I liked the way it sounded. Now I see that if the pronouns are more like names, there is a tragic tale of love and loss, acted out in full sight of the indifference of the world. The language is still fresh and innovative, "down they forgot as up they grew".
-
What it's really about.
From guest Esther (contact)
It's a story. NOONE is a girl and ANYONE is the guy. It's about unrequited love between NOONE and ANYONE. The reason you know it's unrequited is because your nothing without the one you love. She is noone without the anyone she loves. It's just a girl loving a boy and it's insignificant to the world. -
lines meanings
From guest Lee (contact)
what does the lines mean in cummings poem anyone lived in a pretty how town -
Understood
From guest Amee (contact)
Hey im 16 and reading this for the first time....i got the part where noone and anyone were in love got married and died together...but other than that im really lost, can someone please explain what the rest of this poem means? What does with up so floating many bells down mean? -
-
cummings poems are frequently challenging. His odd use (or not) of capitalisation and his disregard for grammatical structure coupled with his positioning of line breaks sometimes make the meaning startlingly obvious and at others tantalisingly hidden.
For more details of this particular piece have a look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anyone_lived_in_a_pretty_how_town
-
-
ee
From guest steve (contact)
"he sang his didn't he danced his did" i think there is a little of that in us all -
From guest Kuki (contact)
I love this poem...sometimes, you can't really understand it but sometimes, you know exactly what e.e. was trying to say... -
<3
This is so sad. Human's are so miserable in their existence, and make it all for themselves. It would be so easy to be "anyone" and "noone" and actually live our lives out right, but we forget that. We live our fake lives and never notice what's important.
So sad, but wonderful. -
I wasn't an e.e. cummings fan until I read this poem. One of my favorite poems of all time. It's funny how some people have said it seems to make sense when read as a whole, but not when read line by line, cause for me it is exactly the oposite. The first time I read it I was real confused but I read it again and tried to think of all the anyone's, someones, and noones as a single person, and it made sense. This portray'll of the common human experience, the passing of life, the passing of dreams(didn't, isn't) is simply brillant. My favorite stanza is
"all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
with by spirit and if by yes."
I see it as man's reflection upon his ultimate death
"and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember...
one day anyone died I guess"
And throughout childhood we forget the absolutness of our ultimate demise, but as we grow older it taunts us more and more I see my favorite satanza as man(woman) thinking about this ultimite demise... Of couse this is only my interpretation, what's great about cumming is that his work is open to wide interpretation, but read it and know, that it does make sense, and whatever meaning you create for it is not self-fabricated for e.e.cummings is a true poetic genous
Edited on Aug 01, 10:38 because ''. -
E.E. Cummings was not only a poet, but also a painter with words. He doesn't paint as most writers do by giving vivid details. He does so by unique word order and gramatical usages. Just reading the line "spring summer autumn winter," I can picture all the seasons passing rapidly, giving me a sense of the passage of time. The last stanza of the poem is very interesting. Within four lines Cummings summarizes the human life in the world. Human beings come to the world, live for years witnessing all the seasons anyway they like and then inevitably die and go back to "went their came", the place of origin.
-
Whoa, this is so cool!!! I love the repetition and rotating lists, the use of opposites in a single thought, and the materialization of abstract ideas. Wow this man was gifted.
-
I am not a fan of cummings, and haven't been since the first, but I truly enjoyed this poem. I found that, when read line by line for understanding, the reader is left confused, but, if read all at once, the mind de-garbles and a message is heard.
-
Actually, I rather liked the syntax of this poem. It was a bit difficult to understand, yes, but understanding is not everything. I think that reading it is supposed to be fun, while analyzing it and putting together the pieces was intended to be done seperatly. Anyway, I enjoyed it immensely.
-
I think Yoda is trying to tell me something with this write, but catch it not my brain cries! I see the meaning in this write but to me it is overworked with syntax and leaves the reader with a head ache trying to place all the pieces of the poem in correct order to make out what they really wanted to impart. For me writes like this are passed over and left by the wayside, as I would much rather read something that flowed and didnt sound all segmented and broken. Just my personal opinion but still and yet if you want my attention you have to write something that captures my mind.
-
"when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief"
oh man... this one was so funnnnn (especially to read out loud)
I love that he doesn't use punctuation. there aren't a lot of poets that realize the full impact of not going with ordinary things (like periods)
his command of words is outstanding.
I loved this one. -
I'm with vbgard on this one. Pointellism at its best. Stand too close, it's all confusing primaries. One step back though, and the primaries blend to become a clear image of relationships over time - both tenderly intimate and those not so kind.
One of my all time favorites! -
yup i agree with others a complete rollercoaster of a ride! the syntax was carried way too far to make this piece far too confusing! I do n ot like this use of syntax, and think had one of us written it people would critique telling us to tidy it up!!!!! however, the pictures the words create when read sensibly of summer 8in a little village really work nicely!
-
yes quite a ride, dipped a bit in the begginng for me, but took off into a romantic winsome floaty ride across pretty water lillied lake inthe end. Reminded me of a painting by Monet in its moasic of pieces and pastel tones
-
To make a novel need we something, that not done before has been, but do to over have we done it, lost the reader will the scheme.
-
This piece galloped along at such a pace that the reader can do no more than hang on and enjoy the ride. I enjoyed the unusual syntax and the flow that it created.
-
I also agree with Andrew. Rollercoaster describes this piece very well. I barely understood it at all. However, I like the sound of it. I will read it again.
~Tawnya~ -
I agree with Andrew, quiet a ride. lol
However it sure opens a mind also so when a poet does that, he has accomplished a great task.
Tommy -
I have never really been a fan of Cummings, (although I respect his skilled ability). I quite liked this piece, but only when looking at it line by line, the twists in syntax work very well, if not too much. A rollercoaster of words, you need to be strapped in to stay with the ride.
Andrew
Edited on May 12, 4:28 because 'my syntax was taxsyn'.
-
Well, I for one think he carried this creative syntax and grammar a little far! Give me some punctuation! This is too much like modern art, do something really different to grab everyone's attention.
-
Tintacks tiptoe more or less – in and out the shade dark run, words a writhing twists he best, poking poetry has he fun!
-
This, of course, is pure genius at work. e.e. really knew the value and worthlessness of words and their rules of punctuation.
Putting all the rules down, he gave us little conceptions to think about and somehow magically they become larger, much larger than life. I would like to have someone explain how he did that to me.
Those are the keys, I think, to the kingdom.
Adding your comment:
1 - 23 of 23
