e.e. cummings
1894 - 1962
American poet, who experimented extensively with language and form.
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, cummings was educated at Harvard University.
During World War I, he was an ambulance driver in France and was detained for three months in a military detention centre on a false charge.
cummings' experiments with language made his unique work famous. He rejected conforming to society. He saw spaces and capital letters as literary obstacles, and saw little reason to use them. Some of the unconventional techniques cummings employed included omission of lower-case letters, unusual punctuation, unusual and striking imagery, new words, and the use of jazz rhythms and slang.
cummings' work is mainly lyrical and romantic in nature, although it is difficult to ascertain this at first glance given the unusual nature of his work.
Essays
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