if everything happens that can’t be done -...

1
if everything happens that can’t be done E.E. Cummings (1894–1962) if everything happens that can't be done (and anything's righter than books could plan) the stupidest teacher will almost guess 5 (with a run skip around we go yes) there's nothing as something as one one hasn't a why or because or although 10 (and buds know better than books don't grow) one's anything old being everything new (with a what 15 which around we come who) one's everyanything so so world is a leaf so a tree is a bough (and birds sing sweeter 20 than books tell how) so here is away and so your is a my (with a down up 25 around again fly) forever was never till now now i love you and you love me (and books are shuter than books 30 can be) and deep in the high that does nothing but fall (with a shout each around we go all) 35 there's somebody calling who's we we're anything brighter than even the sun (we're everything greater than books might mean) 40 we're everyanything more than believe (with a spin leap alive we're alive) we're wonderful one times one 45 QUESTIONS: 1. Explain the last line of this poem. 2. This poem is based on a contrast between heart and mind (or love and learning). Which does the speaker prefer? What symbols represent each concept? 3. Scan the first stanza of the poem. What is the basic metrical scheme? How does the meter contribute to both the tone and meaning of the poem? 4. Why does Cummings insert line breaks such as those in lines 3-4, 6-7, and so on? 5. The word “every” could be pronounced with either two (ev-ry) or three (ev-er-ry) syllables. Judging by the meter of the poem, how should it be pronounced in lines 14, 38, 18, and 41? AP Literature | Poetry/Structure

Upload: doananh

Post on 27-Aug-2018

213 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: if everything happens that can’t be done - WSDblog.wsd.net/brfendrick/files/2011/02/ifeverythinghappens.pdf · if everything happens that can’t be done E.E. Cummings (1894–1962)

if everything happens that can’t be done E.E. Cummings (1894–1962)

if everything happens that can't be done

(and anything's righter

than books

could plan)

the stupidest teacher will almost guess 5

(with a run

skip

around we go yes)

there's nothing as something as one

one hasn't a why or because or although 10

(and buds know better

than books

don't grow)

one's anything old being everything new

(with a what 15

which

around we come who)

one's everyanything so

so world is a leaf so a tree is a bough

(and birds sing sweeter 20

than books

tell how)

so here is away and so your is a my

(with a down

up 25

around again fly)

forever was never till now

now i love you and you love me

(and books are shuter

than books 30

can be)

and deep in the high that does nothing but fall

(with a shout

each

around we go all) 35

there's somebody calling who's we

we're anything brighter than even the sun

(we're everything greater

than books

might mean) 40

we're everyanything more than believe

(with a spin

leap

alive we're alive)

we're wonderful one times one 45

QUESTIONS: 1. Explain the last line of this poem.2. This poem is based on a contrast between heart and mind (or love and learning). Which does the speaker prefer? What symbols represent each concept? 3. Scan the first stanza of the poem. What is the basic metrical scheme? How does the meter contribute to both the tone and meaning of the poem?4. Why does Cummings insert line breaks such as those in lines 3-4, 6-7, and so on?5. The word “every” could be pronounced with either two (ev-ry) or three (ev-er-ry) syllables. Judging by the meter of the poem, how should it be pronounced in lines 14, 38, 18, and 41?

AP Literature | Poetry/Structure