“9” by E.E. Cummings Analysis Essay

Edward Estlin Cummings was a unique poet with an equally unique makeup style. E. E. Cummings was innate(p) on October 14th, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1916, Cummings graduated with a masters degree from Harvard University. During his studies, he was subject to many great writers such as Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound. After working for five months as a volunteer ambulance driver in World War I, he was captured by French authorities. He was accused on accounts of espionage.After the war, he settled into a life in which he bounced around from houses in rural Connecticut and Greenwich Village. He as well as traveled through Europe meeting various poets and artists, including Pablo Picasso. During his life, Cummings won a number of awards for his unique style of writing. At the epoch of his death in 1962, he was the second most widely read poet in the United States, only behind Robert Frost. In this essay, we will discuss three distinct features of his writing that made it so unique. These features included literary devices, imagery, and symbolism.One of the most prominent poetic devices in E. E. Cummings song, 9, is alliteration. This literary device is obvious end-to-end the poem. For example, in the first stanza, There are so many tic-toc measure everywhere telling people what tic-toc epoch it is, for tic-toc instance, five toc minutes toc past half a dozen tic (Cummings Web). Cummings uses the phrase tic-toc, and other variations of that to create a sense of repetition. This fits nicely into what the major theme of the poem is. Cummings believes that watching and keeping track of time gets repetitive.Through alliteration, Cummings creates a sense of repetition while summarizing the overwhelming theme of the poem. A nonher major poetic device Cummings uses in his poem 9 is imagery. Cummings makes use of descriptive phrases that practically paint a picture in the readers mind. For example, Spring is not regulated and does not get out of order, n or do its hands a unforesightful jerking move over numbers slowly (Cummings Web). The section Its hand a little jerking move over numbers slowly, instantly gives the reader the image of a clock.In the way he conveys this, its clear that he feels time is moving very slowly. In the third stanza, We do not wind it up, it has no weights, backlash wheels inside of its slender self, no indeed dear zero point of the kind (Cummings Web), Cummings creates vivid imagery. This shows that Cummings is relating how he has no use for a clock and doesnt care for the principle of keeping time. He would sort of live life time free, without having to worry about being on time or being late. The third and final poetic device that shows up in the poem, 9, is symbolism.To begin the poem Cummings uses symbolism. The number 9 refers to the number of times he uses the words, tic-toc, toc-tic, tic-tic, toc, and tic. Also, as seen in the fourth stanza, So when pamper spring comes, well buss each kiss oth er on kiss the kiss lips because the tic clocks toc dont make a toc-tic difference to kiss kiss you and to kiss me (Cummings Web). Cummings uses the word kiss to complicate and clutter the verse. If you remove those words, he simply summarizes all of his thoughts in the last stanza.He says when spring comes we can kiss because the clocks dont make a difference to you and me. This symbolizes that Cummings cant wait for the spring and summer months when the clocks dont play a role in his life. In conclusion, Cummings uses his poem 9 to relay his feeling to time. He feels that clocks are constantly telling people what time it is, that they are too late or too early. He believes they should be allowed freedom, which the clocks dont have the appearance _or_ semblance to give. In the summer, however, the clocks dont matter because its a time for relaxation and fun. He could really care less about the clocks.