A Pretty How Town

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With his quintessential unorthodox poetic style, E. E. Cummings has become a legend in the world of poetry. Notably, the way he manipulates traditional grammar, syntax, and line structures compel readers to further investigate any possible concealed meanings. Cummings expresses feelings as perceived by the characters in his poems and uses line breaks, unconventional capitalizations of words, and unusual syntax to alert readers to many societal changes. In the poem, “in Just-,” readers are exposed to spring as seen through the eyes of a child. In contrast, readers witness how an ideal suburban town can become detached from interpersonal connections in the poem, “anyone lived in a pretty how town.” Upon first glance, the unconventional word …show more content…

This may infer the hasty nature of children at play, moving too quickly to get a breath or pause in between words. The action that causes the children to leap so quickly outdoors and away from their indoor play is the “little / lame balloonman / [who] whistles far and wee”. The balloonman, a common neighborhood and playground fixture of the 1920’s who sold balloons to children, also serves as a siren for Spring. He is later described as being “goat-footed” and a “ballonMan” conveying that this character is more than he seems and may be a mythical gateway facilitating the transition from childhood into …show more content…

An example of the doublespeak incorporated is Cummings use the of the terms “anyone” and “noone” which can represent the names of individuals, or their literal meanings. The poem begins with “anyone” living in this “pretty how town” and how “he sang his didn’t [and] he danced his did.” This last line requires the reader to comprehend Cumming’s use of doublespeak for full understanding. Singing is an action that requires vocalization of some sort of story and emotion, which seems to be “anyone’s” actions he has not yet accomplished. Dancing often signifies a celebration and the poem shows “anyone” celebrating the actions he has accomplished. It is evident that what a person has done is equally important to what a person has not yet

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