the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls

Portrait of e.e. cummings
e.e. cummings 1894–1962

the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds (also, with the church's protestant blessings daughters, unscented shapeless spirited) they believe in Christ and Longfellow,both dead, are invariably interested in so many things- at the present writing one still finds delighted fingers knitting for the is it Poles? perhaps. While permanent faces coyly bandy scandal of Mrs. N and Professor D ....the Cambridge ladies do not care,above Cambridge if sometimes in its box of sky lavender and cornerless, the moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy

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  1. Shannon United States

    This poem is a scathing attack on the "Cambridge women"--those well-off, upper-class women--who have nothing better to do with their lives but sit around, gossip about other people, and support meaningless causes. Cummings is angry with these women for not thinking for themselves, and for not seeing that there's so much more to the world than knitting and scandal.

  2. DrPat United States

    The imagery of the Cambridge ladies is that of complacent self-satisfaction, as in the "whited sepulchre" of the New Testament. They do not examine the furnishings of their souls, but are content to "believe in Longfellow and Jesus, both dead", and occupy their thoughts with trivia.

    To the extent that we waste our own lives "getting and spending," ignoring the cosmic issues that surround us, we also live in furnished souls. WE are the Cambridge ladies.

  3. ConqueringId United States

    anyway that has never stopped e e cummings. This poem is much like "gay is a captivating cognomen" as it is about the same thing, except that way too many people didn't understand what he meant by gay.

  4. Rose United States

    It's not an attack on Cambridge ladies, but merely an attempt to describe an era he was experiencing. Cummings being from Cambridge was showing us how we all can simply become complacent with our own good deeds and getting preoccupied with other people's business.

  5. maxwell octavious United Kingdom

    i beleive that cummings was talking about how unappriative the rich can be, and nothing else. he cares about cambrigde and he can tell that they don't, they only care about themselves and their needs.

  6. maxwell octavious United States

    i belevie that cummings was just talking about how unappriative the rich cambridge people are, nohting but that. How they only care about

  7. PJ United States

    This poem is not merely an attack on upper class women in Cambridge but is a more widespread accusation of all upper class white society in his time. Cummings shows through several ironical twists that the Cambridge ladies have lost the broader points of religion and charity. Although they are supposedly good Protestant women, they do not even consider who their self proclaimed charitable acts are benefiting but…

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    This poem is not merely an attack on upper class women in Cambridge but is a more widespread accusation of all upper class white society in his time. Cummings shows through several ironical twists that the Cambridge ladies have lost the broader points of religion and charity. Although they are supposedly good Protestant women, they do not even consider who their self proclaimed charitable acts are benefiting but rather take pleasure that it will increase their social status. This complimented by their profound interest in social gossip defines the idea that in their social arena, religion is no longer a faith intensive practice but simply a social requirement with not many deep obligations. There are many interpretations and examples in this poem and one should not limit their view to the Cambridge ladies but should look at white society, aristocratic circles and the modernization of religion throughout the whole of society.

  8. Laure France

    This poem represents many countries and the people in the countries. I believe that it speaks the truth about our society today. We always gossip and try to out do each other with material items that we own and buy

  9. sarah Spain ↩ replying to Rose

    in this poem, ee cummings is showing the way that legalistic "christians" kill tbe beauty in life and in effect kill Christ himself: he says that christ is dead, which is a contradiction of the truth- christ rose again. The reason being is that the "ladies of cambridge" gossip and suck joy from life, never seeing the moon in the "sky lavender and cornerless." this represents the freedom and joy of life that is not stagnant with rules and churches. cummings is not making any statements against christianity but rather against the way people get sunk into ruts where they cannot see light...

  10. sarah Spain

    I really love when a big old horse sticks it right in my vaj, then right into my pooper. But nothing can beat it when it blows a load in my mouth. i love it so much...

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  12. Marc El Salvador

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    Developers see the potential for small well-placed ifofce developments and are confident in their ability to let or sell sites. For example we recently began building Botanic House an 8.8 million ifofce development by Pace Investments on Hills Road This growth has been buoyed by a significant increase in private sector investment and the redevelopment of the Hills Road Station Road area Despite high demand and a tight supply quality commercial ifofce space in Cambridge has been lacking for years. The Station Road Hills Road area has become a developers dream which is great news for the city as a flurry of activity is taking place to create the first new ifofces for 25 years and Cambridges first-ever business district To give you an idea of the work taking place we are currently on site with two schemes in that area and there are a number of others in the pipeline The extent of the redevelopment varies from extension refurbishment and fit-out work similar to what we are doing at Three Crowns House in Hills Road to demolition and new-build work such as Botanic House Investors are continuing to express an interest in city centre development and we expect this to continue particularly as many of the buildings are dated and not fit for modern day use.

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