but mr can you maybe listen there’s

but mr can you maybe listen there’s
me &
some people
and others please
don’tconfuse.Some
people

‘s future is toothsome like
(they got
pockets full may take a littl
e nibble now And then
bite)candy

others
fly,their;puLLing:bright
futures
against the deep sky in

May mine’s tou
ching this crump
led cap mumble some
thing to oh no
body will
(can you give
a)listen to
who may

you

be
any
how?
down
to
smoking
found
Butts

Analysis, meaning and summary of e.e. cummings's poem but mr can you maybe listen there’s

5 Comments

  1. Mike says:

    it seems to me that the juxtapostion of the sentance structior is symbolic of the opressed as they have less and less room to say anything, even in the title, it is cut off mid-sentence

  2. anne says:

    you all seemed to think it was political socio-economic commentary. i see it more as him feeling different than these people, than all people, they seem luckier and happier. his spirit is crumpled, he’s talking to no one, he thinks no one is there, but he hopes somehow someone will hear him. i don’t think e.e. cummings was political. if i’m wrong, and i’m missing something, let me know, but i think mostly he felt alienated and saddened at the state of humanity. he certainly made many social commentaries, but that’s not necessarily political.

  3. Iain says:

    Who listens to the men and women who are reduced to smoking discarded cigarette butts? Society tars them all with the same brush, and never takes the time to differentiate between those who have sunk so far into the mire that they will not return, and those who seek compassion and a chance for contact with humanity. I am, however, puzzled by the 3rd stanza – others fly,their;puLLing:bright futures – I don’t understand the use of the punctuation, nor the capitalisation of ‘LL’ – assume it is a reference that I don’t recognise. It fascinates me how a few words can write a whole life story like this.

  4. Amanda says:

    i think that EEC is trying to say that only the people that have made a bright future for themselves are listened to as opposed to the ones who are “down to smoking found butts”…..this poem once again exemplifies EEC’s political view through his poetry, like alot of his other poetry

  5. Elise says:

    This poem reminds me of a Jewel song

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by e.e. cummings better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.