E.E. cummings's "she being Brand/-new" appears to be, at its surface, a poem about a man taking his car for a spin and learning the nuances of his new vehicle. The imagery and descriptions cummings uses allows the reader to understand the various things that need to be broken in. The poem's narrator freely admits the car was "consequently a little stiff," which can be further seen in how the narrator felt the need to "oil the universal joint" and test the gas, and made sure the radiator was in good condition. The ritual the narrator employs allows the reader to see how he takes great care to make sure that the not only are his needs met, but also that he does not do any damage to the car. The narrator also comments that he was impressed by the first ride and the results of his approach to breaking in his brand new car.
On another level, "she being Brand/-new" can also be interpreted as an extended metaphor for a sexual encounter with a new partner. The extended metaphor completely transforms the meaning of the poem, yet the narrator's approach to sex comes off as mechanical and not sensual. One of the questions that arises due to this metaphor is how the narrator views women; does the comparison of a woman to a car insinuate that the narrator sees women as possessions?
"since feeling is first" by e.e. cummings, is reminiscent of many 17th century carpe diem poems, including "To the Virgins, Who Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick. "since feeling first" features a spontaneity in writing...
By referencing the lack of attention to syntax when expressing one's emotions, cumming's demonstrates that he is self-aware about how the syntax of logic is disrupted and that logic prevents an individual from giving themselves wholly to another. Furthermore, cummings insinuates that one should act upon their desires before it is too late. cummings insinuates that he does not believe that there should be boundaries or constructs that are used to define what is written and how life should be lived. It is interesting to see how cummings utilizes language/grammar as a comparison to life; disruption of syntax to describe logical thought, the contention that life is not a paragraph, and the comparison of death to parenthesis. Does the simile of grammar to life reflect cummings's relationship with his writing?
William Carlos William's direct poetic style allows him to get to the point of what he is trying to describe and gives the reader the opportunity to imagine the image Williams is creating without external influences. "This is Just to Say" is a short poetic apology about a man who has eaten some plums that were being saved for a particular meal. Williams relies on the readers' previous experiences of disappointment to convey his message. The narrator expects the owner of the plums to be disappointed that 1) the plums that were being reserved for breakfast were eaten, and 2) the plums were delicious and cold and could not be…
