e.e. cummings - anyone lived in a pretty how town

"anyone lived in a pretty how town" (1940, modernist)

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down) 

spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn't he danced his did 

Women and men(both little and small) 

cared for anyone not at all 

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same 

sun moon stars rain 

children guessed(but only a few 

and down they forgot as up they grew 

autumn winter spring summer) 

that noone loved him more by more 

when by now and tree by leaf 

she laughed his joy she cried his grief 

bird by snow and stir by still 

anyone's any was all to her 

someones married their everyones 

laughed their cryings and did their dance 

(sleep wake hope and then)they

 said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon 

(and only the snow can begin to explain 

how children are apt to forget to remember 

with up so floating many bells down) 

one day anyone died i guess 

(and noone stooped to kiss his face) 

busy folk buried them side by side 

little by little and was by was 

all by all and deep by deep 

and more by more they dream their sleep 

noone and anyone earth by april 

wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

Modernist poetry is said to have begun with the French symbolist movement and ended at the beginning of the WWII, despite some modernist poets, like e.e. cummings, continuing to write in the Modernist style continuing into WWII. Within the modernist movement, poets often questioned impersonality and objectivity, rather heralding the imagination, memories, and emotions of the poet. One can see in "anyone lived in a pretty how town" how e.e. cummings, rather than commenting on the social policies of the era, tapped into the human emotion with the love between anyone and noone, symbolizing a man and a woman. cummings explores the apathy of the community towards these two people through time (symbolized through the seasons and the astronomy in different orders) until they died and were forgotten. One can see through the lack of formal grammar, as well as the free verse, both a era of conventionality and the personal style of e.e. cummings.