Tuesday open thread: The poetry of e.e. cummings
I discovered the poetry of e.e. cummings in high school when I moved out to Los Angeles. Although I don't remember studying him in school, his work was anthologized in the sacred Norton Anthology of American Literature. (And yes, I still have that book on my shelf.) There was something absolutely magical about his work. It was lyrical and experimental. He wrote love poetry of a passion and depth which has been rarely matched. His work was an inspiration for my own poetry; not so much in style, but in philosophy. Like many people, he went from supporting Republicans (in Spain) to supporting Republicans (in the United States). I've never looked deeply into his later politics, because they don't detract from the work, especially from the period which made me fall in love with his poetry. I'll return tomorrow with a treatise on one of my favorite subjects: the difference between moral certainty and moral clarity. But for today we revel in the First Art. To love. To life. T...
