Comment 128 of 162, added on April 12th, 2007 at 9:15 AM.
I think this poem is talking to all people who are from the idyllic small
town. Picture a Bedford Falls kind of place right out of "It's a Wonderful
Life". I dont really get the reference to the bells, but as someone
mentioned it signals the passing of time, and I suppose that makes sense.`I
think the mentioning of seasons does match the passing of time.
Then the next line is "he sang his didn't he danced his did". It makes me
think of the proverb about actions speak louder than words. And the person
told all the things he wouldn't do, but we can see what he actually did
through his actions. (Like people may say when I grow up I am going to get
out of this small town, but years later, they are still in the same
place).
I read how somebody mentioned the little and small relates to the size of a
person's mind and I liked that explaination (otherwise I had no idea), but
I feel this one reflects how people are becoming more distnat from
eachother and more selfish. "They sowed their isn't they reaped their same"
to me means that they did not put all of their possible effort into the
things they did, and the results they got back were also less than perfect.
The last line in that stanza again marks the passing of time.
The "children guessed but only a few as down they forgot as up they grew)"
to me relates to the innocent dreams of a child. I remember how when I was
a child I wanted to be a rockstar and now my son is thinking of being a
fighter pilot, astronaut, or garbage man... the thing is that all kids have
plans and dreams when they are young, but as they grow older they forget.)
So the idea is that children tend to have big dreams when they are young
but they forget them as they grow older. (the last line is one I cannot
make so much sense of... but maybe just again echoing the distance from
others or isolation... but also maybe hinting that at this point that the
unimportant person has not found his true love or soulmate)
So after some time passes, it is time to add another leaf to the so called
family tree... a girl comes a long who shares in the job and grief of the
man (which I think reflects the pre womans lib attitude of the rold of a
woman towards a man.) I dont understand the bird by snow and stir by still
part... but the part that anyones any was all to her... refers to the
parents having a child who is important to the girl...
and eventually they get married.... someones married their everyones (so
when you get married the person you care most about is your everyone) and
as a married couple the experience both happiness and sadness. and they get
through their difficult times and continue with their life. the "sleep wake
hoe and then they said their nevers and they slept their dream) this refers
to how you get settled in a pattern of life go to bed, wake up, work, and
repeat.... there are things that you say you are never going to do (i.e. I
am never going to be like my parents or I would never have any children)
and then you end up never taking action to achieve the things in your
mind.
This next one is one of my favorite stanzas. First it refers to the passing
of time... then "and only the snow can begin to explain how children are
apt to forget to remember with up so floating many bells down) I dont get
the part about the bells... but I think the part about snow can be
understood in this way.... Perhaps if you are from a northern area where
you get a lot of snow you can remember as a child how magical and exciting
the snow once was, you could spend a long time outside building snowmans,
sledding, having snowball fights, building a snowfort, making
snowangels.... but as time passes, snow just becomes a cold burden that you
need to shovel it looses its magic.... and because the snow experiences
this change in attitude from people in how something is a magical
wonderland can turn to a freezing burden, the snow has felt this through
the contact with people and it can begin to explain how children forgot the
things that they guessed they would become when they are younger...
the part about one day anyone died I guess... I guess I think of this is a
metaphorical death. There comes a point in your life when you lose your
dreams... this is when you die. I have met many people who are living but
their soul or spirit is dead. Consider how much life is in the people who
are stuck in a cubical knowing they will never achieve the things that
hoped to do. There also comes a point in the marriage when the couple grows
distant and maybe people also stop caring about eachother so much... so it
does not necessarily have to be a real death but more of a spiritual death.
The busy folk just pass the who have lost their dreams and little by little
was by was all by all and deep by deep (yeah, I dont get that part at all.)
Maybe maybe slowly people let of of their dreams little by little and they
become memories of the past and get buried deeper and deeper in the memory
once they have been let go and as time passes they find instead of
ambitious hopes and dreams they are let go and the only dreams people have
are the ones when they are sleeping but they are no longer the goal
oriented dreams. All people are experiencing this and (dont get the earth
by april) and I dont understand the part wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men all live their time on the life and they get the things from
the effort that they have provided, and their time here passes (this is the
actual death---not the metaphorical one) and again the reference to
nature.
Over all I sometimes feel the poem is incredibly depressing, but at others
I can see something that is completly inspirational. I think it is sad in
the sense that people grow up and forget their dreams, but I find it
inspirational in the sense that I feel this poem tries to remind you that
that is something that happens and by calling your attention to it, it
encourages you not to forget your dreams but to accomplish something. I
think it is important to remember we only have a short time to accomplish
things.
I feel the overall tone as the poem is read is happy and uplifting, and I
guess that is why I feel the poem is not intended to be depressing.
Teya Yu from
United States
In the poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town" by E.E. Cummings, I think
that it is about how children grow up to do great things and how they see
the world. The quote "A childs view is one of the most innocent things in
the world" (google.com) is what explains this entire poem in one sentence.
It tells the reader that children can be very innocent things but later in
life they loose that innocence to the corrupt and adult world they are
forced to grow up in. Lastly, this poem will never be forgotten and should
be taught to children all around the world.
Matthew Fauls from United States