quotes from e.e.cummings "the voice of the poet"

6. a man who had fallen among thieves (1922)

...
i put him all into my arms
and staggered and banged with terror through
a million billion trillion stars

9. somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond (1931)

...
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

Tremble: a girlfriend attended a wedding where the groom read this poem aloud in front of all the guests. I exlaimed, "Oh, that'd be really romantic", while she was recounting the story. "Not exactly," She responded, "the guests were annoyed because no one understood it."

11. as freedom is a breakfastfood (1940)

...
or hopes dance best on bald men's hair
and every finger is a toe
and every courage is a fear
...
...
down shall go which and up come who
breasts will be breasts thighs will be thighs
deeds cannot dream what dreams can do
--time is a tree(this life one leaf)
but love is the sky and i am for you
just so long and long enough

13. love is more thicker than forget (1940)

love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent that to fail

...

15. my father moved through dooms of love (1940)

...
if every friend became his foe
he'd laugh and build a world with snow
...

20. pity this busy monster,manunkind, (1944)

... We doctors know

a hopeless case if--listen:there's a hell
of a good universe next door;let's go

21. ("first stop thief help muder save the world" (1944)


...

"have you" the mountain,while his maples wept
air to blood,asked "something a little child
who's just as small as me can do or be?"
god whispered him a snowflake "yes:you may
sleep now,my mountain" and this mountain slept

while his pines lifted their geen lives and smiled

25. Hello is what a mirror says (1944)

...

no sunbeam ever lies

...

26. nothing false and possible is love (1944)

...

must's a schoolroom in the month of may:
life's the deathboard where all now turns when
(love's a universe beyond obey
or command,reality or un-)

...

37. who were so dark of heart they might not speak, (1950)

...

...
nowhere to hear,never to beautiful:
a little innocence creates a day.

And something thought or done or wished without
a little innocnece,although it were
as red as terror and as green as fate,
greyly shall fail and dully disappear--

but the proud power of himself death immense
is not so as a little innocence


38. when faces called flowers float out of the ground

...

when every leaf opens without any sound
and wishing is having and having is giving--
but keeping is doting and nothing and nonsense
--alive;we're alive,dear:it's(kiss me now)spring!
now the pretty birds hover so she and so he
now the little fish quiver so you and so i
(now the mountains are dancing,the mountains)

...

39. now air is air and thing is thing:no bliss (1958)

41. because you take life in your stride(instead (1958)

...

because you aren't afraid to kiss the dirt
(and consequently dare to climb the sky)
because a mind no other mind should try
to fool has always failed to fool your heart

....

42. So shy shy shy(and with a (1958)

...

So gay gay gay and with a
wisdom not the wisest man
will partly understand(although

the wisest man am i)

...