Mt. Chocorua, 1938
By E.E. Cummings
Oil on canvas

As a poet, E. E. Cummings (1894-1962), has enjoyed tremendous popularity throughout the 20th century, and great critical acclaim from many different literary circles.

His poetry has been widely hailed for its experimental form, typography, grammar, and word coinages, as well as for the subtlety and sensitivity of its perceptions and feeling.

His nonfiction prose has been praised for its bitter wit and for the clarity and forcefulness of its expression, revealing Cummings as an intelligent, critical observer and chronicler of the modern, who, bound to no school of writing, expresses himself as an idiosyncratic individualist.

His highly developed sense of the aesthetic was married to a deep skepticism toward that which was fashionable but uninformed by critical intelligence and the warmth of the human heart. Ezra Pound went so far as to place Cummings’ EIMI as the second most important book of the 20th century, ahead of James Joyce’s Ulysses and second only to Wyndham Lewis’s The Apes of God.

Link back to the Poetry Wednesday tour on Laurita’s page

deletereply rosiefielding2 wrote on Sep 21, ’09 A wonderful poet of his day, his words sank deep into souls who dared read his works, i admire his way with words very much thanks for this tribute to this great man of chosen words.Rosiex

deletereply mrwhatzit wrote on Sep 21, ’09 Amazing poem! I didn’t know he was also an artist, and although I’ve enjoyed his works for 40 years, this is the first time I’ve seen what he looked like.

deletereply caffeinatedjo wrote on Sep 22, ’09 He had a way with words, and I love the way he punctuated and coined his own sayings. He definitely marched to the beat of his own drum. My favorite quote of his is, “The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”

deletereply fransformation wrote on Sep 22, ’09, edited on Sep 22, ’09 One of my favorite poems and poets. Lovely oils too….Thank you!

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 22, ’09 fransformation said . Lovely oils too…. Some of his artwork is so amazing.

deletereply mrwhatzit wrote on Sep 22, ’09 I can’t believe they didn’t teach us in HS that he was also an artist… Gonna have to search out some of his paintings.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 22, ’09 mrwhatzit said Gonna have to search out some of his paintings. He has an art website at: : http://www.eecummingsart.com/prosp/?p=1

deletereply mrwhatzit wrote on Sep 22, ’09 thank you laurita!

deletereply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Sep 23, ’09 I’ve always found Cumming’s writings to be so vibrant…much like his painting put to words. What a upbeat,positive tone this poem has….delightful! BTW: Really enjoyed seeing his art work….what a talented man he was! Thank you Laurita!

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 23, ’09 sweetpotatoqueen said BTW: Really enjoyed seeing his art work….what a talented man he was! Thanks Sweetpotato. Yes, his artwork was a pleasant surprise !

deletereply sylvie1 wrote on Sep 23, ’09 I was a young girl when I first read something this remarkable man wrote, and I loved his way of writing from the beginning. Thanks for this great presentation!

deletereply pestep55 wrote on Sep 23, ’09 Wonderful selection, a truly gifted poet and artist /:-)

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 23, ’09 pestep55 said Wonderful selection, a truly gifted poet and artist /:-) Thanks so much. He truly is an interesting poet.

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Sep 24, ’09 I really like this guys art work, its good enough to to an art post on without the poetry. The poem ”for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes” this just says it all, the guy obviously had a real love of life

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 24, ’09 forgetmenot525 said I really like this guys art work, its good enough to to an art post on without the poetry. I love his colors. They’re so bright and cheerful. I agree, it’s good enough to do an Art Sunday post without the poetry, so that’s what I did: http://lauritasita.multiply.com/journal/item/1471/Art_Sunday_092009_The_Paintings_of_E.E._Cummings

deletereply forgetmenot525 wrote on Sep 24, ’09 yeah I remember…………….I visited and the one at the top, the abstract like landscape is really nice, wonderful colours.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Sep 24, ’09 Loretta, if you want to visit his art website, go to: http://www.eecummingsart.com/prosp/?p=1