Poetry Friday--E.E. Cummings

E.E. Cummings: A Poet's Life

by Catherine Reef

Clarion, 2006

Did you know that E.E. Cummings actually prefered his name to be capitalized, even though he utilized lowercase letters so often in his poems? Catherine Reef's E. E. Cummings: A Poet's Life is a wealth of information of the often misunderstood poet. Cummings, like so many other famous writers, didn't have the perfect life, and had his work vastly criticized. I recommend this biography to middle school and high school fans of Cummings' poetry. Reef not only gives a thorough depiction of Cummings' life, but she also covers this world history that he lived through.

In honor of Poetry Friday, I give you E.E. Cummings poem "If"

If

If freckles were lovely, and day was night,

And measles were nice and a lie warn't a lie,

Life would be delight,-

But things couldn't go right

For in such a sad plight

I wouldn't be I.

If earth was heaven, and now was hence,

And past was present, and false was true,

There might be some sense

But I'd be in suspense

For on such a pretense

You wouldn't be you.

If fear was plucky, and globes were square,

And dirt was cleanly and tears were glee

Things would seem fair,-
Yet they'd all despair,

For if here was there

We wouldn't be we.

The Poetry Friday Roudup is at Susan Writes