E is for e.e. and Emily
Posted on: April 5, 2012
Edward Estlin Cummings was a 20th century American poet. He experimented a lot with punctuation, form and grammar rules. Often you will see his abbreviated name lowercased as e.e. cummings in the style of his poetry.
Here’s an excerpt from my favorite e.e. poem. Read the entire poem here.
Emily Dickinson was a 19th century American poet, often described as private and reclusive. She also used some interesting punctuation, namely long dashes. Earlier printings of her poems were often “cleaned up” to be punctuated properly, but more recent volumes return to her original writings to restore her style.
I have many favorite Emily poems, at least one already mentioned on this blog, but this is the one that did it for me, the first one I loved.
"I'm Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there's a pair of us! Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know! How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one's name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog!" - by Emily Dickinson
Who is your favorite poet?
*This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2012, on the theme of little things that make me happy.
4 Responses to "E is for e.e. and Emily"
April 5, 2012 at 1:29 pm
I’m Nobody is one of the first poems I remember hearing (and learning) as a child, and I have loved poetry since. John Donne & Shakespeare are perennial faves, but the two that always come immediately to mind when asked about favorites are “i care your heart with me” by e.e. cummings and “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden.
3 | Claire Hennessy (@1ClaireHennessy)
April 6, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Oooh this is spooky. A friend was just asking me if I’d heard of Emily Dickinson yesterday!
April 5, 2012 at 7:57 am
I loved the e.e. cummings work; he is one of my favorites as well. And then there is Emily… Ah, who could not love that poem? Where we live the frogs tell their name all the live-long *year* to an admiring bog. They sometimes are so loud they keep us up at night. And, I see I got deviled eggs in the bargain.Enjoyed reading and will come back for another visit.