E.E. Cummings’ extended metaphor of the human life cycle reveals that all people are ultimately on the exact same path of life, as time passes, not much changes. His ambiguous pronouns serve to allow the readers to place themselves in the character’s shoes, allowing them to picture themselves in E.E. Cummings’ “anyone lived in a pretty how town.”
The ambiguous pronouns allow Cummings’ reader to place themselves in the characters’ shoes, thereby allowing them to realize that they, too, are on the same path of life as anyone and noone. Cummings describes anyone as living “in a pretty how town” (Cummings 1). This seemingly generic town is brought to a more intensified version, with Cummings’ implementation of the word how. Cummings describes anyone …show more content…
Stanzas one, three, and nine all list the seasons, but in different orders. First, the seasons are listed “spring, summer, autumn, winter”, then again as “autumn, winter, spring, summer”, and finally as “summer autumn winter spring” (3, 11, 34). The seasons listed in different orders is significant, in that, through this, Cummings suggests that anyone’s and noone’s love changes through time. The order of the seasons is significant, in that it explains the progression of anyone and noone’s love through in the same way the season’s progress. Additionally, Cummings’ auditory imagery announces the lapse in time. The speaker often discusses the ringing of “many bells” (2). “Church bells ring for holidays, births marriages, and deaths; in other words, all of the major events that punctuate a life as it progresses” (Poetry for Students 4). Cummings’ implication is that in the beginning, the bells signify the marriage of anyone and noone, while at the end, the bells signify their deaths. This symbol of passing time is significant, as the start and the end of their lives together begin at the ringing of the church bells. Finally, the passage of time is brought to light by Cummings’ description of celestial bodies, as well as weather. Typically in literature, weather and celestial bodies, as well as seasons,
The ambiguous pronouns allow Cummings’ reader to place themselves in the characters’ shoes, thereby allowing them to realize that they, too, are on the same path of life as anyone and noone. Cummings describes anyone as living “in a pretty how town” (Cummings 1). This seemingly generic town is brought to a more intensified version, with Cummings’ implementation of the word how. Cummings describes anyone …show more content…
Stanzas one, three, and nine all list the seasons, but in different orders. First, the seasons are listed “spring, summer, autumn, winter”, then again as “autumn, winter, spring, summer”, and finally as “summer autumn winter spring” (3, 11, 34). The seasons listed in different orders is significant, in that, through this, Cummings suggests that anyone’s and noone’s love changes through time. The order of the seasons is significant, in that it explains the progression of anyone and noone’s love through in the same way the season’s progress. Additionally, Cummings’ auditory imagery announces the lapse in time. The speaker often discusses the ringing of “many bells” (2). “Church bells ring for holidays, births marriages, and deaths; in other words, all of the major events that punctuate a life as it progresses” (Poetry for Students 4). Cummings’ implication is that in the beginning, the bells signify the marriage of anyone and noone, while at the end, the bells signify their deaths. This symbol of passing time is significant, as the start and the end of their lives together begin at the ringing of the church bells. Finally, the passage of time is brought to light by Cummings’ description of celestial bodies, as well as weather. Typically in literature, weather and celestial bodies, as well as seasons,