what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX) - A poem by e.e. cummings

e.e. cummings - what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX)

what if a much of a which of a wind
gives the truth to summer's lie;
bloodies with dizzying leaves the sun
and yanks immortal stars awry?
Blow king to beggar and queen to seem
(blow friend to fiend: blow space to time)
-when skies are hanged and oceans drowned,
the single secret will still be man

what if a keen of a lean wind flays
screaming hills with sleet and snow:
strangles valleys by ropes of things
and stifles forests in white ago?
Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind
(blow pity to envy and soul to mind)
-whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees,
it's they shall cry hello to the spring

what if a dawn of a doom of a dream
bites this universe in two,
peels forever out of his grave
and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?
Blow soon to never and never to twice
(blow life to isn't: blow death towas)
-all nothing's only our hugest home;
the most who die, the more we live.

Added: on April 19th, 2007 at 7:12 PM | Viewed: 11184 times | Comments and analysis of what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX) by e.e. cummings Comments (18)

what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX) - Comments and Information
Poet: e.e. cummings Poem: what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX) Poem of the Day: Jun 11 2007 Comment 18 of 18, added on April 14th, 2008 at 8:12 PM. lyricism and violent images juxtaposed. but the optimist that ee cummings was comes through in the lines -whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees, it's they shall cry hello to the spring I agree that this is cummings reaction to the war when all was turned upside down and the world lost its soul - Andrea from United States Comment 17 of 18, added on October 27th, 2007 at 8:30 AM. To me it's a rumination--What if everything we believe to be true is actually a lie? And I mean everything like our concept of reality. (one thing that has irked me tecnically about the poem is the line "Blow King to begger and Queen to seem" It makes more sense to say 'seam' instead of 'seem') Lil Gibson from United States Comment 16 of 18, added on April 19th, 2007 at 7:12 PM. This poem is ultimately about the destruction of the world - a third World War. Technology, usually thought of as beneficial to mankind, slowly destroying the society it was meant to help improve. "screaming hills with sleet and snow" and a wind that "strangles valleys by ropes of things" is a detailed description of the destruction caused by the incendiary raids used in WWII. "the most who die (Germans and Japanese) the mroe we live" (Americans). Cummings uses inverted sentence structure to create a scene of chaos - the same felt in a city or town that has just been air raided. This poem was after all written in 1944... Audrey from United States More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX), has received 18 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by e.e. cummings with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: e.e. cummings Poem: what if a much of a which of a wind... (XX) Last read: Jul 25 2008, 8:41PM Poem of the Day: Jun 11 2007 Viewed 11184 times. Added on April 19th, 2007 at 7:12 PM.

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