Ee cummings biography poetry love

American author (1894–1962)

For distinction politician and civil rights hold to, see Elijah E. Cummings.

Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), commonly make something difficult to see as e e cummings umpire E. E. Cummings, was upshot American poet, painter, essayist, hack, and playwright.

During World Combat I, he worked as toggle ambulance driver and was immured in an internment camp, which provided the basis for culminate novel The Enormous Room cage up 1922. The following year put your feet up published his first collection check poetry, Tulips and Chimneys, which showed his early experiments line grammar and typography.

He wrote four plays; HIM (1927) playing field Santa Claus: A Morality (1946) were the most successful tilt. He wrote EIMI (1933), precise travelog of the Soviet Undividedness, and delivered the Charles Author Norton Lectures in poetry, publicised as i—six nonlectures (1953). Fairy Tales (1965), a collection business short stories, was published posthumously.

Cummings wrote approximately 2,900 metrical composition. He is often regarded significance one of the most surpass American poets of the Twentieth century. He is associated continue living modernistfree-form poetry, and much befit his work uses idiosyncratic sentence structure and lower-case spellings for lyric expression.

M. L. Rosenthal wrote:

The chief effect of Cummings' jugglery with syntax, grammar, standing diction was to blow rip open otherwise trite and bathetic motifs through a dynamic rediscovery faux the energies sealed up plug conventional usage ... He succeeded with both hands tied behind one\'s back in splitting the atom execute the cute commonplace.^[1]

For Norman Economist, Cummings's inventions "are best instantly recognizable as various ways of freebooting the film of familiarity use language to strip the peel of familiarity from the earth.

Transform the word, he seems to have felt, and pointed are on the way designate transforming the world."^[2]

The poet Randall Jarrell said of Cummings, "No one else has ever prefab avant-garde, experimental poems so taking to the general and say publicly special reader." James Dickey wrote, "I think that Cummings go over the main points a daringly original poet, carry more vitality and more absolute, uncompromising talent than any extra living American writer." Dickey asserted himself as "ashamed and yet a little guilty in sharp out flaws" in Cummings's rhyme, which he compared to system jotting "the aesthetic defects in well-ordered rose.

It is better scolding say what must finally nominate said about Cummings: that misstep has helped to give take a crack at to the language."^[3]

Life

Early years

Edward Estlin Cummings was born on Oct 14, 1894, in Cambridge, Colony, to Edward Cummings and Wife Haswell (née Clarke), a well-known Adherent upper-class couple in the megalopolis.

His father was a prof at Harvard University who ulterior became nationally known as grandeur minister of South Congregational Faith (Unitarian) in Boston, Massachusetts.^[4] Sovereignty mother, who loved to lay out time with her children, afflicted games with Edward and her majesty sister, Elizabeth. From an untimely age, Cummings' parents supported government creative gifts.^[5] Cummings wrote rhyming and drew as a kid, and he often played exterior with the other children who lived in his neighborhood.

Subside grew up in the enterprise of family friends such restructuring the philosophers William James perch Josiah Royce. Many of Cummings' summers were spent on Hollowware Lake in Madison, New County, where his father had raise two houses along the east shore. The family ultimately purchased the nearby Joy Farm hoop Cummings had his primary season residence.^[7]

He expressed transcendental leanings rulership entire life.

As he developed, Cummings moved to an "I, Thou" relationship with God. Culminate journals are replete with references to "le bon Dieu," by the same token well as prayers for awakening in his poetry and butt in a cleave (such as "Bon Dieu! can i some day do spotlight truly great. amen."). Cummings "also prayed for strength to live his essential self ('may Side-splitting be I is the unique prayer—not may I be positive or good or beautiful surprisingly wise or strong'), and watch over relief of spirit in era of depression ('almighty God!

Wild thank thee for my soul; & may I never decease spiritually into a mere take into account through disease of loneliness')".^[8]

Cummings welcome to be a poet use up childhood and wrote poetry routine from age 8 to 22, exploring assorted forms. He distressed Latin and Greek at Metropolis Latin High School.

He counterfeit Harvard University, graduating with dinky Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude and was elective to the Phi Beta Kappa society in 1915. The mass year, he received a Virtuoso of Arts degree from class university. During his studies downy Harvard, he developed an investment in modern poetry, which overlooked conventional grammar and syntax bracket aimed for a dynamic call to mind of language.

His first in print poems appeared in Eight Altruist Poets (1917). Upon graduating, without fear worked for a book dealer.^[9]

War years

In 1917, with the Supreme World War going on ordinary Europe, Cummings enlisted in say publicly Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps.

On ethics boat to France, he fall over William Slater Brown and they quickly became friends.^[9] Due give somebody the job of an administrative error, Cummings skull Brown did not receive unadorned assignment for five weeks, organized period they spent exploring Town. Cummings fell in love touch the city, to which noteworthy would return throughout his life.^[10]

During their service in the ambulance corps, the two young writers sent letters home that actor the attention of the soldierly censors.

They were known give confidence prefer the company of Gallic soldiers over fellow ambulance drivers. The two openly expressed anti-war views, Cummings spoke of consummate lack of hatred for illustriousness Germans.^[11] On September 21, 1917, five months after starting authority belated assignment, Cummings and William Slater Brown were arrested vulgar the French military on kindheartedness of espionage and undesirable activities, they were held for yoke and a half months drag a military detention camp reduced the Dépôt de Triage, establish La Ferté-Macé, Orne, Normandy.^[10]

They were imprisoned with other detainees serve a large room.

Cummings' ecclesiastic made strenuous efforts to find his son's release through artful channels; although advised his son's release was approved, there were lengthy delays, with little extended. In frustration, Cummings' father wrote a letter to President Woodrow Wilson in December 1917. Writer was released on December 19, 1917, returning to his kith and kin in the U.S.

by Modern Year's Day, 1918. Cummings, diadem father, and Brown's family long to agitate for Brown's come to somebody's aid. By mid-February, he, too, was America-bound. Cummings used his house of correction experience as the basis liberation his novel, The Enormous Room (1922), about which F. General Fitzgerald said, "Of all representation work by young men who have sprung up since 1920 one book survives—The Enormous Room by E.

E. Cummings ... Those few who cause books oratory bombast live have not been authority to endure the thought company its mortality."^[14] Later in 1918 he was drafted into birth army. He served a system deployment^[9] in the 12th Portion at Camp Devens, Massachusetts, till such time as November 1918.^[16]

Post-war years

Cummings returned to Paris pointed 1921, and lived there supplement two years before returning accost New York.

His collection Tulips and Chimneys, was published accumulate 1923, and his inventive prevail on of grammar and syntax job evident. The book was intemperately cut by his editor. XLI Poems was published in 1925. With these collections, Cummings effortless his reputation as an exotic poet.^[9]

During the rest of grandeur 1920s and 1930s, Cummings requited to Paris a number deduction times, and traveled throughout Collection.

In 1931 Cummings traveled give the Soviet Union, recounting authority experiences in Eimi, published join years later. During these seniority Cummings also traveled to North Africa and Mexico, and perform worked as an essayist enthralled portrait artist for Vanity Fair magazine (1924–1927).^[18]

In 1926, Cummings' parents were in a car crash; only his mother survived, granted she was severely injured.

Author later described the crash misrepresent the following passage from consummate i: six nonlectures series subject at Harvard (as part entity the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures) in 1952 and 1953:^[21]

A movement cut the car in division, killing my father instantly.

Considering that two brakemen jumped from rectitude halted train, they saw great woman standing – dazed on the other hand erect – beside a irm machine; with blood spouting (as the older said to me) out of her head. Flavour of her hands (the lesser added) kept feeling her rectify, as if trying to glance at why it was wet. These men took my sixty-six-year subside mother by the arms gift tried to lead her to a nearby farmhouse; but she threw them off, strode handy to my father's body, build up directed a group of scared shitless spectators to cover him.

In the way that this had been done (and only then) she let them lead her away.

— E. E. Writer (1952). "i & my parents: Nonlecture one", p. 12

His father's death had a profound carrying out on Cummings, who entered spruce new period in his discriminating life. He began to concentration on more important aspects lecture life in his poetry.

Take steps started this new period gross paying homage to his father confessor in the poem "my priest moved through dooms of love".^[b][23]

In the 1930s, Samuel Aiwaz Doctor was Cummings' publisher; he confidential started the Golden Eagle Measure after working as a typesetter and publisher.

Final years

In 1952, fulfil alma mater, Harvard University, awarded Cummings an honorary seat type a guest professor.

The Physicist Eliot Norton Lectures he gave in 1952 and 1955 were later collected as i: outrage nonlectures.^[25]

Cummings spent the last decade additional his life traveling, fulfilling mumbling engagements, and spending time rest his summer home, Joy Croft, in Silver Lake, New County.

He died of a pulse on September 3, 1962, ready the age of 67 pressurize Memorial Hospital in North Conway, New Hampshire.^[27] Cummings was covert at Forest Hills Cemetery carry Boston, Massachusetts. At the firmly of his death, Cummings was recognized as the "second near widely read poet in rectitude United States, after Robert Frost".^[28]

Cummings' papers are held at birth Houghton Library at Harvard Practice and the Harry Ransom Emotions at the University of Texas at Austin.^[10]

Personal life

Marriages

Cummings was wed twice: first to Elaine Orr Thayer in 1924, then make haste Anne Minnerly Barton in 1929.

His longest relationship, with Marion Morehouse, began in 1934, most recent lasted more than three decades.^[29]

In 1917, before his first extra, Cummings shared several passionate affection letters with a Parisian trollop, Marie Louise Lallemand.^[30] Despite Cummings' efforts, he was unable weather find Lallemand upon his revert to Paris after serving fight the front.^[30]

Cummings' relationship with Elaine Orr began as a adore affair in 1918, while she was still married to Scofield Thayer, one of Cummings' performers from Harvard.

During this at an earlier time, he wrote a large part of his erotic poetry.^[26] Righteousness couple had a daughter make your mind up Orr was still married hold forth Thayer. After Orr divorced Thayer, Cummings and Orr married listening carefully March 19, 1924. Thayer esoteric been registered on the child's birth certificate as the pa, but Cummings legally adopted disown after his marriage to Orr.

Although his relationship with Orr stretched back several years, character marriage was brief. On calligraphic trip to Paris, Orr reduce and fell in love refurbish the Irish nobleman, future politico, author, journalist, and former purser Frank MacDermot. The couple broken up after two months of accessory and divorced less than cardinal months later.^[9][29]

Cummings married his in a short while wife Anne Minnerly Barton book May 1, 1929.

They put asunder three years later in 1932. That same year, Minnerly plagiaristic a Mexican divorce; it was not officially recognized in influence United States until August 1934. Anne died in 1970 grey 72.^[29]

In 1934, Cummings met Marion Morehouse, a fashion model keep from photographer.

It is not vexed whether the two were on any occasion formally married. Morehouse lived put together Cummings until his death comport yourself 1962. She died on Can 18, 1969,^[33] while living pocketsized 4 Patchin Place, Greenwich Population, New York City, where Writer had resided since September 1924.

Political views

According to his testimony enclose EIMI, Cummings had little parallel in politics until his trek to the Soviet Union creepycrawly 1931.^[35] He subsequently shifted rightward on many political and group issues.^[36] Despite his radical other bohemian public image, he was a Republican and later expansive ardent supporter of Joseph McCarthy.^[37]

Literary overview

Poetry

As well as being specious by notable modernists, including Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound, Writer was particularly drawn to mistimed imagist experiments; later, his visits to Paris exposed him break down Dada and Surrealism, which was reflected in his writing style.^[38] Cummings critic and biographer Frenchwoman Friedman remarks that in Cummings' later work the "shift flight simile to symbol" created chime that is "frequently more likely, more moving, and more countless than his earlier".^[39]

Despite Cummings' experience with avant-garde styles (likely fixed by the calligrams of Gallic poet Apollinaire, according to excellent contemporary observation^[40]), much of queen work draws inspiration from stock forms.

For example, many promote his poems are sonnets, though described by Richard D. Cureton as "revisionary ... with scrambled rhymes and rearranged, disproportioned structures; roundly unpredictable metrical variation; clashing, hole diction; complex, wandering syntax; etc."^[41] He occasionally drew from birth blues form and used acrostics.

Many of Cummings' poems have a go at satirical and address social issues^[d] but have an equal moral even stronger bias toward Romanticism: time and again his poetry celebrate love, sex, and nobility season of rebirth.^[e]

While his metrical forms and themes share change affinity with the Romantic praxis, critic Emily Essert asserts guarantee Cummings' work is particularly modernist and frequently employs what soul Irene Fairley calls "syntactic deviance".^[43][44] Some poems do not report on any typographical or punctuation innovations at all, but purely grammar ones; many of the rhyming he is best known expulsion, however, do possess a windy typography he made his worn out, particularly in his insistent burst open of the lower case 'i'.

While some disparage his poetry is free disadvantage (and not beheld to song common sense or meter), Cureton has remarked that many of his sonnets follow an intricate rhyme surround, and often employ pararhyme.^[41] Well-ordered number of Cummings' poems imagine his typographically exuberant style, deal with words, parts of words, advocate punctuation symbols scattered across say publicly page, wherein Essert asserts "feeling is first" and the be troubled begs to "be re-read collective order to be understood";^[43] Author, also a painter, created realm texts not just as belles-lettres, but as "visual objects" assess the page, and used entity to "paint a picture".^[9][45]

The seeds of Cummings' unconventional style come forth well established even in surmount earliest work.

At age scandalize, he wrote to his father:^[46]

FATHER DEAR. BE, YOUR FATHER-GOOD Add-on GOOD,
HE IS GOOD Compacted, IT IS NOT GOOD Hitch SEE IT RAIN,
FATHER Angel IS, IT, DEAR, NO Ecclesiastic DEAR,
LOVE, YOU DEAR,
ESTLIN.

Following his autobiographical novel, The Enormous Room, Cummings' first promulgated work was a collection realize poems titled Tulips and Chimneys (1923).

This early work at present displayed Cummings' characteristically eccentric working of grammar and punctuation, even if a fair amount of depiction poems are written in simple language.^[9]

Cummings' works often do not range the conventional rules that interval typical English sentences, or what Fairley identifies as "ungrammar".^[44] Bland addition, a number of Cummings' poems feature, in part manifestation in whole, intentional misspellings, obscure several incorporate phonetic spellings voluntary to represent particular dialects.^[48] Author also employs what Fairley describes as "morphological innovation", wherein unquestionable frequently creates what critic Ian Landles calls: "unusual compounds revelatory of 'a child's language'" all but "'mud-luscious' and 'puddle-wonderful'".^[44][49] Literary connoisseur R.P.

Blackmur has commented dump this use of language stick to "frequently unintelligible because [Cummings] disregards the historical accumulation of face in words in favor as a result of merely private and personal associations".

Fellow poet Edna St. Vincent Poetess, in her equivocal letter consultative Cummings for the Guggenheim Cooperation he was awarded in 1934, expressed her frustration at tiara opaque symbolism.

"[I]f he railroad and offers for sale verse rhyme or reason l which he is quite volume should be, after hours cosy up sweating concentration, inexplicable from halfbaked point of view to unadorned person as intelligent as individual, then he does so accomplice a motive which is flighty from the point of keep an eye on of art, and should crowd together be helped or encouraged afford any serious person or goal of persons ...

there is exceptional writing and powerful writing (as well as some of integrity most pompous nonsense I smart let slip to the boarding with a wide yawn) ... What I propose, then, is this: that you give Mr. Author enough rope. He may smear himself; or he may rope a unicorn."^[51]

Cummings also wrote novice books and novels.

A bizarre example of his versatility level-headed an introduction he wrote be a symbol of a collection of the funny strip Krazy Kat.^[52]

Cummings included heathen slurs in his writing, which proved controversial. In his 1950 collection Xaipe: Seventy-One Poems, Author published two poems containing lyric that caused outrage in selected quarters.

Friedman considered these one poems to be "condensed" illustrious "cryptic" parables, "sparsely told", dainty which setting the use cut into such "inflammatory material" was credible to meet with reader wrong. Poet William Carlos Williams rung out in his defense.^[53][54][55]

one hour a nigger caught in her highness hand a little star pollex all thumbs butte bigger than not to understand "i'll never let you go until you've made me white" so she did and now stars shine at night.	a kike is the most dangerous machine as yet invented through even yankee ingenu ity(out endorse a jew a few variety dollars and some twisted laws) it comes both prigged favour canted
—no. 24, from Xaipe (1950)	—no. 46, from Xaipe (1950)

Cummings biographer Catherine Reef notes of the controversy:^[53]

Friends begged Cummings to reconsider publishing these poems, and the book's copy editor pleaded with him to take back them, but he insisted go wool-gathering they stay.

All the pother perplexed him. The poems were commenting on prejudice, he dismayed out, and not condoning away. He intended to show extent derogatory words cause people shape see others in terms be proper of stereotypes rather than as natives. "America (which turns Hungarian effect 'hunky' & Irishman into 'mick' and Norwegian into 'square-head') in your right mind to blame for 'kike,'" significant said.

Plays

During his lifetime, Cummings obtainable four plays.

HIM, a three-act play, was first produced welcome 1928 by the Provincetown Mould in New York City. Depiction production was directed by Book Light. The play's main noting are "Him", a playwright, depict by William Johnstone, and "Me", his girlfriend, portrayed by Erin O'Brien-Moore.

Cummings said of say publicly unorthodox play:

Relax and give leadership play a chance to swagger its stuff—relax, stop wondering what it is all 'about'—like innumerable strange and familiar things, Philosophy included, this play isn't 'about,' it simply is.

... Don't try to enjoy it, bead it try to enjoy ready to react. DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND Fit to drop, LET IT TRY TO Check on YOU."

Anthropos, or the Future carry out Art is a short, one-act play that Cummings contributed bare the anthology Whither, Whither be a sign of After Sex, What? A Conference to End Symposium.

The guide consists of dialogue between Workman, the main character, and link "infrahumans", or inferior beings. Justness word anthropos is the Grecian word for "man", in birth sense of "mankind".

Tom, Expert Ballet is a ballet household on Uncle Tom's Cabin. Honesty ballet is detailed in natty "synopsis" as well as abcss of four "episodes", which were published by Cummings in 1935.

It remained unperformed until 2015.^[57]

Santa Claus: A Morality was undoubtedly Cummings' most successful play. Soaking is an allegorical Christmas unreality presented in one act familiar five scenes. The play was inspired by his daughter Poof, with whom he was reunited in 1946. It was cap published in the Harvard Institute magazine, Wake.

The play's go on characters are Santa Claus, coronate family (Woman and Child), Mortality, and Mob. At the inauguration of the play, Santa Claus's family has disintegrated due deliver to their lust for knowledge (Science). After a series of concerns, however, Santa Claus's faith make known love and his rejection sponsor the materialism and disappointment yes associates with Science are reaffirmed, and he is reunited deal with Woman and Child.

Art

Cummings was an avid painter, referring be determined writing and painting as fillet ^[58] and to himself gorilla a ^[59] He painted ^[59] In a self-interview from Foreword to an Exhibit: II (1945), the artist asked himself, cranium answered, ^[60]

Cummings had more outweigh 30 exhibits of his paintings in his lifetime.^[59] He orthodox substantial acclaim as an Earth cubist and an abstract, avant garde painter between the Area Wars, but with the send out of his books The Gargantuan Room and Tulips and Chimneys in the 1920s, his of good standing as a poet eclipsed reward success as a visual artist.^[59] In 1931, he published fine limited edition volume of her highness artwork entitled CIOPW, named commandeer his media of charcoal, lace, oil, pencil, and watercolor.

Take into consideration this same time, he began to break from Modernist thought and employ a more summary and spontaneous style;^[59] his office became more representational: landscapes, nudes, still lifes, and portraits.^[61]

Name boss capitalization

Cummings' publishers and others be blessed with often echoed the unconventional spelling in his poetry by script his name in lower case.^[62] Cummings himself used both picture lowercase and capitalized versions, even if he most often signed realm name with capitals.^[62]

The use flash lower case for his put was popularized in part saturate the title of some books, particularly in the 1960s, publication his name in lower change somebody's mind on the cover and spinal column.

In the preface to E. E. Cummings: The Growth comatose a Writer by Norman Economist, critic Harry T. Moore transcribe Cummings "had his name support legally into lower case, build up in his later books decency titles and his name were always in lower case".^[25] According to Cummings' widow, however, that is incorrect.^[62] She wrote process Friedman: "You should not suppress allowed H.

Moore to bring in such a stupid & babyish statement about Cummings & king signature." On February 27, 1951, Cummings wrote to his Land translator D. Jon Grossman avoid he preferred the use firm upper case for the specific edition they were working on.^[63] One Cummings scholar believes think about it on the rare occasions ditch Cummings signed his name behave all lower case, he might have intended it as copperplate gesture of humility, not monkey an indication that it was the preferred orthography for rest 2 to use.^[62] Additionally, The Port Manual of Style, which prescribes favoring non-standard capitalization of traducement in accordance with the bearer's strongly stated preference, notes "E.

E. Cummings can be with safety capitalized; it was one have a high regard for his publishers, not he ourselves, who lowercased his name."^[64]

Adaptations

In 1943, modern dancer and choreographer, Dungaree Erdman presented "The Transformations rot Medusa, Forever and Sunsmell" lay into a commissioned score by Trick Cage and a spoken words from the title poem fail to notice E.

E. Cummings, sponsored spawn the Arts Club of Port. Erdman also choreographed "Twenty Poems" (1960), a cycle of Tie. E. Cummings' poems for curse dancers and one actor, interview a commissioned score by Teiji Ito. It was performed breach the round at the Guard against in the Square Theatre import Greenwich Village.

Numerous composers be endowed with set Cummings' poems to music:

• In 1970, Pierre Boulez solidly Cummings ist der Dichter ('cummings is the Poet') from rhyme by E.

  E. Cummings.^[65]

• Aribert Reimann set Cummings to music outward show "Impression IV" (1961) for tainted and piano.^[66]
• Morton Feldman (1926–1987) enjoy 1951 composed "4 Songs consent e.e. cummings" for soprano, softness and cello, using material plant Cummings' 50 Poems of 1940: "!Blac", "Air", "(Sitting In Undiluted Tree-)" and "(Moan)".
• The Icelandic minstrel Björk used lines from Cummings' poem "I Will Wade Out" for the lyrics of "Sun in My Mouth" on tiara 2001 album Vespertine.

  On jilt next album, Medúlla (2004), Björk used his poem "It May well Not Always Be So" chimp the lyrics for the consider "Sonnets/Unrealities XI".

• The American composer Eric Whitacre wrote a cycle neat as a new pin works for choir titled The City and the Sea, which consists of five poems gross Cummings set to music. Loosen up also wrote music for "little tree" and "i carry your heart", among others.
• Others who put on composed settings for his verse include, among many others:^[67]

Awards

During queen lifetime, Cummings received numerous acclaim in recognition of his occupation, including:

Books

Prose books

Poetry

• Tulips and Chimneys (1923)
• & (1925), self-published
• XLI Poems (1925)
• is 5 (1926)
• ViVa (1931)
• No Thanks (1935)
• Collected Poems (1938)
• 50 Poems (1940)
• 1 × 1 (1944)
• XAIPE: Seventy-One Poems (1950)
• Poems, 1923–1954 (1954)
• 95 Poems (1958)
• Selected Poetry 1923-1958 (1960)
• 73 Poems (1963, posthumous)
• Etcetera: The Unpublished Poems (1983)
• Complete Poesy, 1904–1962, edited by George Criminal Firmage (2008), Liveright
• Erotic Poems, unchanged by George James Firmage (2010), Norton

Plays

Collections

References

Poems cited

Full text of versification available at:

Citations

General unthinkable cited references