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How E E Cummings writes a poem

9 minutes

How E E Cummings’s most famous love poem reaches towards transcendence of self

One of the most influential American poets of the 20th century, E E Cummings is famous for his experimental, distinctive use of capitalisation, punctuation and structure. In this video essay, Evan Puschak (also known as The Nerdwriter) explores one of Cummings’s most accessible and well-known poems, ‘[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]’ (1952). In the poem’s stylised yet seemingly effortless language, parentheses and stanza breaks Puschak finds a masterful, graceful attempt to write about transcendent love that itself reaches beyond words.

Video by The Nerdwriter

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Support Aeon

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Aeon is a registered charity committed to the spread of knowledge. Our mission is to create a sanctuary online for serious thinking.
But we can’t do it without you.

Aeon is a registered charity committed to the spread of knowledge and a cosmopolitan worldview.
But we can’t do it without you.
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