15

e.e. cummings's innovative style provoked comment and expanded artistic boundaries in the literary world. Students will be fascinated by the appearance of his poems and his unconventional treatment of words, punctuation, and form.

maggie and milly and molly and may

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.

who are you, little i

who are you,little i

(five or six years old)

peering from some high

window;at the gold

of November sunset

(and feeling:that if day 

has to become night

this is a beautiful way)

old age sticks

old age sticks

up Keep

Off

signs)&

youth yanks them

down(old

age

cries No

Tres)&(pas)

youth laughs

(sing

old age

scolds Forbid

den Stop

Must

n't Don't

&)youth goes 

right on

gr

owing old