On the first glance of the poem, it seemed simple and lacking any formal meaning. With the simple language and short lines of the poem, it was surprisingly confusing. e.e. Cumming’s poem, “plato told”, was filled with names that I knew nothing about and a word I didn’t understand. It’s formatted in a very peculiar manner, the lines were all extremely short and about four words per line. I was confused by the poem so my analysis continued.
From my initial reading and lack of understanding I went on to learn who each of the many names I didn’t know were. Starting with Lao-Tsze, a Chinese philosopher, who was regarded as the creator of the religion, Taoism. So a man of religion and high moral principal told the man in question. As well as an other religious leader, Jesus, spoke to him to, but he didn’t believe it. Finally, the last man was General Sherman, a leader during the Civil war. He was known for his extreme measures and his tyrannical attitude, and even this man could tell the other something he could
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Edward Estlin Cummings, was a pacifist who graduated from Harvard and once World War 1 started he volunteered for the Ambulance Corps. Where he was later arrested and sent to a concentration camp for expressing his pacifist ideas in a letter. After his release four months later he was released back to the United States and was drafted into the Infantry. From theses experiences and his pacifist ideals, e.e. cumming’s developed his anti-war ideas.
My final bit of understanding that brought it all together was learning what the old sixth avenue el was. An old elevated railroad that was dismantled prior to World War 2, where it would be melted down and turned into ammo for the Japanese. I also noticed the formating at this time, with it increasing in the stanza line count till five then going back down till one, bring extra emphase to the final word,