anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town by e.e. 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

Comments  

 

# sarah_jean 2009-10-30 23:00

I really have no clue what this poem is about but I just love E.E. Cummings' stuff. His poetry, I think, gets you thinking and thinking and then all of a sudden you are just so confused to the point of where you want to spend the rest of your life trying to figure out what his writing means. He pays a lot of attention to seasons and to things on the sky so I think the "he" and "she" he's referring to is some form of nature. Like for example, the actual planet Earth is the "he" and Mother Earth is the "she." When it says, "she laughed his joy she cried his grief" it means when the planet is strong and not suffering, she is healthy and happy and then when the world is going through a disaster such as global warming, she feels that pain too. And then when cummings talks about how the children will forget, he means that the children don't understand how crucial it is to protect our planet.

 

 

# Jennie 2009-11-01 04:56

This poem is a little confusing at first, but when you break it down it seems to me to be a criticism on our society and how inconsiderate we are with our lives. I agree with Sarah, that this potentially could be connected to the way we mistreat our earth, but for some reason this poem seems to be degrading humans for only caring about themselves and having a good time, instead of worrying about the consequences. The line that sticks out to me the most is, "Women and men (both little and small/ cared for anyone not at all/ they sowed their isn't they reaped the same". This seems to be pointing out the fact that we do no work, and expect the same happy results for our laziness, which seems to be a part of human nature.

 

 

# Catie 2009-12-05 20:50

At first this poem seems like a confusing Dr. Suese kind of thing, but the farther you get along the more you begin to see a story, or so I think. I'm still not to sure about my idea because this is a very confusing poem but here it is anyway. The poem is title "Anyone lived in a pretty how town." This story takes place in this town, which represents today's society, with a few extremes. Anyone and everyone lives in this town that is supposed to be perfect and beautiful, men,women, and children, and in line 4 "he sang his didn't he danced his did" this simply means that these people carried on like anyone else. The major thing is that no one in this town likes each other,yet people go about naturally,gossi ping, becoming married and living their lives together, even until death when they are buried side-by-side. However, the crazy thing is that the people just keep on living, they do not morn, and then in line 23 it says "how children are apt to forget to remember," the children forget their innocence and go along with this terrible society. In a society where everything is supposed to be good and perfect, everything is actually backward and wrong.

 

 

# Keegan 2009-12-19 23:30

Although this poem seems rather confusing at first glance (largely due to the randomness of E.E. Cumming's writing), a brief analysis shows that there is in fact actual meaning hidden within the slapdash punctuation and off-kilter capitalization. The opening two stanzas establish "anyone" (literally anyone) as the protagonist, and make it clear that he isn't exactly popular with the others in his town. Noone (no-one, yet it is implied that she is actually a person) falls in love with anyone, who eventually dies while the townspeople go on living absolutely pointless lives ("they said their nevers they slept their dream"). Finally, anyone and noone are buried side-by-side, and the townspeople still exist, having learned nothing. The only really confusing thing about this poem is whether noone is a person or not. Both ways make sense. If she is a person, than she's basically anyone's girlfriend, who is disliked by the town (and thus a nobody); if she isn't real, then it just highlights anyone's loneliness.

 

 

# dpogreba 2009-12-19 23:35

While I think your analysis of the poem is correct, I have to take issue with the idea of "randomness." I would argue that cummings was as deliberate in his use of language and syntax as any poet you're likely to encounter.

 

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