My god, this is beautiful

[serai]

.
Tip: Again, to get the best effect, you have to read it aloud.  Swing into the rhythm.

---

if up's the word ;and a world grows greener
minute by second and most by more--
if death is the loser and life is the winner
(and beggars are rich but misers are poor)
--let's touch the sky :
                                  with a to and a fro
(and a here there where)and away we go

in even the laziest creature among us
a wisdom no knoledge can kill is astir--
now dull eyes are keen and now keen eyes are keener
(for young is the year,for young is the year)
--let's touch the sky :
                                  with a great(and a gay
and a steep)deep rush through amazing day

it's brains without hearts have set saint against sinner;
put gain over gladness and joy under care--
let's do as an earth which can never do wrong does
(minute by second and most by more)
--let's touch the sky :
                                  with a strange(and a true)
and a climbing fall into far near blue

if beggars are rich(and a robin will sing his
robin a song)but misers are poor--
let's love until noone could quite be(and young is
the year,dear)as living as i'm and as you're
--let's touch the sky :
                                  with a you and a me
and an every(who's any who's some)one who's we

-- e.e. cummings

---

I just...wow.
.

Comments

[shirebound]

Swing into the rhythm.

Thanks! That really is the only way to read it.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

Heehee! There are so many writers who really have to be read aloud. I honestly think that's a big reason why kids get so turned off things like Shakespeare - because nobody says to them, "No, read it aloud." Shakespeare, cummings, JOYCE - Jesus, Joyce really needs to be read aloud, especially the later, really intricate stuff. Finnegan's Wake makes no fucking sense unless you read it aloud, because so much of the meaning of the text is in the sounds of the words. I really think some books should come with a cover warning: THIS BOOK IS BEST READ ALOUD.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

You know, I never cared for ee cummings, but this is wonderful.

[serai1.livejournal.com]

A lot of people get put off by him, thinking he's pretentious. But I've read amazingly beautiful things he's written. My brother asked me years ago to read a poem at his wedding, and I chose cumming's sonnet "i carry your heart with me(i carry it in". My SiL told me later she was fighting off tears as I read it. I love the way cummings plays with words. It's that playfulness I find so enchanting - he seems to find such enjoyment in words and their arrangement. Whee!

[aliensouldream.livejournal.com]

There's certainly a looping joy to this :-)