Sup

[channel1]

No capitalization may also imply that you wish you were as avante garde as e.e. cummings.

Actually, Edward Estlin Cummings stated that he hated being listed as "e.e. cummings".

He had signed one poem that way, once, for effect. His publisher thought it was cool, and put his name on the cover of the book that way without his permission.

Apparently, he gave up trying to change it. Although still known as "e.e. cummings" to the masses, you'll notice that the more informed sources list him by his personal preference, E. E. Cummings.

-rcv-

[Tal]

Was on Guadalcanal, and I believe that what you just told me rings with my foggy memory.

Thanks. :)  My incorrect pronoun I should have caught.

You're welcome. :) Though I don't recall marching to that particular poem in Basic or at any point in my short-lived Marine Corps career.

Cheers
-Tal

[jms]

...Happy belated 6th birthday Zaek, or Zeak, whatever you wish to be called.

[Occhidiangela]

You are named as you are called, and you are named by what you answer to.

My text books used the former notation a way back when.

And I think that you probably noticed that he kept writing the poems in all lower case, which is what I was referring to in the first place as avante garde, not the small letters in the name. He did that for a reason as well, one which I once knew, having to do with symbolism, but one which I have since forgotten and no longer care about.

[channel1]

There is a decent write-up online I found about the de-capitalization on Cummings Here and Here too.

An amusing excerpt from the second part:
D. Jon Grossman was preparing a French edition of Cummings' poems, and wrote to him, "are you E.E.Cummings, ee cummings, or what?(so far as the title page is concerned)wd u like title page all in lowercase?"

The poet replied on 1 March 1951: "E.E.Cummings, unless your printer prefers E. E. Cummings/ titlepage up to you;but may it not be tricksy svp[.]"

Besides the indication of Cummings' preference in capitalization, Grossman's message has an example of 1951 "leet speek" (...wd u like title page...) Eeek!

-rcv-

[ithil]

No capitalization may also imply that you wish you were as avante garde as e.e. cummings.  You aren't, just in case you were curious.

That reminds me of this little gem: How to write like a wanker

[Yrrek]

That is hilarious! I put it in my bookmarks and I am going to show it to my friends that write like that, although I doubt they will get past the 5th paragraph. =)

[[wcip]Angel]

That reminds me of this little gem: How to write like a wanker

Don't forget the cute misspellings. You're a wanker, but you wank to 'pr0n', not 'pornography'. Aspire to be 'kewl', but don't try to be 'cool' except on hot summer days. Don't neglect leetspeak, either: use the '0r' form of verbs as often as possible ('hax0r', 'ownz0r', 'wanx0r'). Replace 'o' with '0', 'e' with '3', 't' with '7', and so on. And while we're at it, be sure to write in an exaggerated ghetto/ ebonic style if you're obviously not black. Nothing says "wanker!" louder than James Francis Spalding III sending out 'greetz and propz to all [his] hos and homies in da hood'.

ahahaha!! I just had to share that with my critics on a Norwegian gaming forum. I can smell the flames already! :)

[Occhidiangela]

I love that fellow's tone, and his effective repitition of the perjorative &%@!wit.

That was fun. :)

[Occhidiangela]

The first Cummings poem/cummingspoem I ever saw.

Buffalo Bill's
defunct
      who used to
      ride a watersmooth-silver
      stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
      Jesus


he was a handsome man
      and what i want to know is
how do you like your blueeyed boy
Mister Death

Brings back memory of seventh grade English class, wherein I first heard the poem whose name I can't remember. A verse of it went something like this:

{opening lines forgotten, something like run for your life or never ever something}
'On the Holy Sabbath
On the Peaceful Day'
Said the Huntsman
playing on his old bagpipe
Boring to death,
the pheasant and the snipe.

Our English teacher, once we had read through this and tried to sort it out, then played a recording of the poem being read aloud. The rhythm and emphasis completly changed the shape, meaning, and texture of the poem in a way that was not self evident on the printed page. I can still hear the reciter's voice. (NO, it's not the caffeine!) Thus began my fascination with poetry, though not any long study of it.

When I listen to Rap artists, I realize what they are trying to do. I just don't find the current style of rhythmic 'poetry' to be appealing to the ear. The Last Poets did it a long time ago, and did it better, for my money.

[Nicodemus Phaulkon]

no text

[--Pete]

Hi,

The rhythm and emphasis completly changed the shape, meaning, and texture of the poem in a way that was not self evident on the printed page.

Yep. Poetry *must* be read aloud. And preferably to someone. I'm grateful for a patient wife :)

--Pete

[--Pete]

--Pete

[ShadowHM]

An immediate addition to the 'Favourites' list and already shared with a number of my fellow Grammar Nazi friends.

[SwiftSlayer2]

Just curious, did you attend the USNA?

Swiftslayer2

[Occhidiangela]

Graduated in '80.