suppose

Life is an old man carrying flowers on his head.

young death sits in a cafe
smiling, a pierce of money held between
his thumb and first finger

(i say “will he buy flowers” to you
and “Death is young
life wears velour trousers
life totters, life has a beard” i

say to you who are silent.–“Do you see
Life? he is there and here,
or that, or this
or nothing or an old man 3 thirds
asleep, on his head
flowers, always crying
to nobody something about les
roses les bluets
yes,
will He buy?
Les belles bottes–oh hear
, pas cheres”)

and my love slowly answered I think so. But
I think I see someone else

there is a lady, whose name is Afterwards
she is sitting beside young death, is slender;
likes flowers.

Analysis, meaning and summary of e.e. cummings's poem suppose… (VIII)

3 Comments

  1. angelina says:

    Suppose personifies life as an old drunkard selling flowers by a cafe where a young careless death sits. Cummings father died in a haphazard way – and so in many of his poems he shows how life is being wasted away. The flowers symbolize time, and how death always has money to buy it away from us. (This is also explained in the last line where a slender flower looking ‘afterwards’ is sitting by death.

  2. Jake says:

    Aaight guys heres my analyzation on Suppose

    In cumming’s poem “suppose…” life and death are personified as people in a café. In the beginning “Life is an old man carrying flowers on his head.” The flowers probably represent the extravagancies that life has to offer. However, death wants to buy the flowers from Life. Cummings then talks to his audience in the poem, “i say, ‘will he buy flowers’ to you…” He than says to the audience that Life is three thirds asleep that cries to nobody about, “something about les roses les bluets.” Translated from French, this means that Life cries about the pinks and the blues. These colors are probably those of flowers, which also means that Life cries because death wants to buy its flowers. The last passage is possibly the most important and beautiful, “there is a lady, whose name is Afterwards / she is sitting beside young death, is slender; likes flowers.” This puts a new spin on the poem; instead of death taking all of the joys, or flowers, away from life, death is buying them for Afterwards, who represents heaven, or an afterlife. Death is transferring bliss and joy from life to afterlife. w00t!

  3. Heidi says:

    Here is another paragraph analyzing one of cummings’ poems. No copying. I will know and i will hunt you down. Im a ninja.

    In cumming’s poem “suppose…” life and death are personified as people in a café. In the beginning “Life is an old man carrying flowers on his head.” The flowers probably represent the extravagancies that life has to offer. However, death wants to buy the flowers from Life. Cummings then talks to his audience in the poem, “i say, ‘will he buy flowers’ to you…” He than says to the audience that Life is three thirds asleep that cries to nobody about, “something about les roses les bluets.” Translated from French, this means that Life cries about the pinks and the blues. These colors are probably those of flowers, which also means that Life cries because death wants to buy its flowers. The last passage is possibly the most important and beautiful, “there is a lady, whose name is Afterwards / she is sitting beside young death, is slender; likes flowers.” This puts a new spin on the poem; instead of death taking all of the joys, or flowers, away from life, death is buying them for Afterwards, who represents heaven, or an afterlife. Death is transferring bliss and joy from life to afterlife. w00t!

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