Tuesday 4/11/17 Agenda

Listen to e.e. cummings read his poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town"

Discuss "anyone lived in a pretty how town"

The poet e. e. cummings, educated at Harvard University, understood all the "ins and outs" of syntax and mechanics of writing.  What he believed in was individualism.  Highly acclaimed as a unique poet, Cummings achieved success in his lifetime.  This poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town" stands as Cummings' most famous  and best work.

Satire is Cummings' choice to look at small-town America and the attitudes of its citizens. The style of Cummings comes from his intention to confound  and surprise the reader  at every turn of the word. Cummings did not name his poems, so critics use the first line of his poems as the titles.

The form of the poem is basically free verse although the first two lines or couplet of each stanza do rhyme. The narration is third person. Each stanza has a particular message the poet emphasizes.

The first verse tells the reader that anyone is the subject of the poem. The name is a double entendre that stands for any person or a person who stands alone isolated from society. These events take place in a "pretty how town." The word pretty is used as a modifier not saying that the town is beautiful, but rather becomes an indictment of the boring, routine activities of the town.

The second line of the poem using the bells to describe the passing of time and anyone's actions that occur repeatedly.  To further indicate the time, the poet lists the order of the seasons.  Anyone goes on with his life and sings and dances his way along.

The people in the town do not like anyone; their lives go on despite anyone. Using the terms little and small as descriptors of the town offers a negative opinion about the willingness of the townspeople to accept new people. His listing of the parts of nature indicates that no one changes the routine lives of these people.

Some of the innocent children were able to see that anyone was different and special. However, even those eventually forgot about him, proving that no one really loved anyone. Again, the poet notes the passing of time using the seasons of the year. 

Now, someone else enters the picture: noone. Anyone is no longer alone because noone loves him more and more.  Obviously, the name noone as used in the poem again has a double meaning. Possible, it is that noone partakes in anyone's life, or it is that noone is a person who has come to be with him.

noone loved him more by more...

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and still by still

anyone's any was all to her

Anyone and noone are in love but not married. The someone's marry and seemingly lack understanding in their communication.  Some laugh while the other cries. Insensitivity and and confusion reign in the married life. These people continue their routine lives lacking in vision, hope, and dreams.

Again, the passage of time is shown: the indicators of daily life; the seasons, and children growing up with the passing of time.

one day anyone died I guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

There will be no grieving of anyone's death.  The people are unconcerned, and their routine lives keep on...Yet, anyone and noone are buried together and pass into dust and pass into the dreams they shared. 

Cummings renounces those who go on in their lives ignoring or disliking those around them that are different or nonconforming. It does not matter because these "ding -dong" men and women are un-bothered by the rest of the world. 

 In Class Questions for Pretty How Town Analysis

1. Give an example of how Cummings "plays" with words and word order in this poem and explain how this affects the poem.

2. What is the message that Cummings is trying to convey to the reader by writing this poem.

3. Define the following words by using context clues from the description above: 

1. syntax
2. satire
3. double entendre
4. free verse
5. third person narration
6. renounce

HW=
1. Informal Narrative Write: One page Minimum
This assignment is not due until the end of the period tomorrow, Wednesday 4/12/17!

What motivates you? Is it intrinsic or extrinsic? Explain.  Why are you motivated in that way?  Do incentives work for you? Is it about moral skill or moral will for you?  Who are your moral exemplars? (Heroes) How are they motivated?  

This assignment does not need to be typed but it must be written using academic or formal language (no slang or casual language). You will have the entire minimum day period tomorrow to work on this assignment in class.  Due on Wednesday (tomorrow) at the end of the period 4/12/17.

2. Read your LC text and remember that the LC Analysis Presentation is due on May 19, 2017.

3. Bring money to spend at Spring Club Day Tomorrow!