maggie and milly and molly and may
by e. e. cummings
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
E. E. Cummings, often stylized as 'e. e. cummings' due to his habit of using only lowercase letters in his poems, was born in 1894. He died in 1962.
His works are characterized by grammatical freedom, and a simplistic style to talk about rather complicated subjects, like war, sex, and other 'adult' issues.
"maggie and milly and molly and may" is a poem that I have been familiar with for a while. When I first heard it, it was set to music. The music was dreadful, making me absolutely hate the poem itself. The more I read e. e. cummings, however, the more I came to appreciate his unusual style, and now this poem is one of my favorites. To me, it shows that our experiences are shaped by our expectations, and what happens to us can be completely subjective. It also is deeply rooted in exploring one's place in the world and whether alone is a state of mind. I absolutely adore this poem.
"E. E. Cummings." Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More. Academy of American Poets, 1997. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/156.
OK! LET THE WRITING COMMENCE!
