Wordplay: For Adults and Children

After reading this poem by E.E. Cummings, I was entranced by his wordplay and by his use of imagery.  I was forced to pause at each separated word which made me hyper aware of the letters that comprise the simplest of words.  By the time I made my way to the end of the poem, I realized it didn’t entirely make sense.  Although I was able to figure out the actual words, I did not understand their relation to one another.  What are “shy lem/ons” or “s pout/ing/vi/o/lets?”  It seems that it doesn’t matter if these words ‘make sense,’ rather, it matters how they sound, how they feel, and how they look.  I am able to visualize bursting colors of violet or pastel yellows.  I can also taste “candy,” “lemons,” and “chocolate.”  Not only is this poem successful for its use of sensory images, but also for the way it connects to a young reader.  The effect of pausing after each word or letter and then trying to guess what the next word would be made me feel like a child learning to read.  Whether or not this was the intended effect, it compliments the diction and descriptions.  Children usually employ their five senses when learning and I went through this exact process.  I was also transported back to childhood from the first line, as I remember trying to compare the clouds in the sky to animals or shapes.  Lastly, this concrete poem (or shape poem) resembles a puff of smoke or a cloud which pairs well with the text itself.  All of these aspects inspired me to write my own experimental poem.  E.E. Cummings was known for his synthesis of words as well as their separation, so I took the poetic license to create new combinations that could force the reader to re-imagine language and embrace the child within.

 

Note: I uploaded pictures of these poems because the blog format would not allow for the arrangement of words.

-Stephanie Montalti