Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Post Impressions: 1-6" by E.E. Cummings is a series of poems that, as the title suggests, offers impressions of various moments, scenes, and sensations. Through his unique style, Cummings captures fleeting experiences and observations, blending the mundane with the profound, the real with the surreal. The poems in this series are marked by vivid imagery, playful language, and a keen awareness of the complexity of life and the natural world.

I.

The first poem paints a picture of a landscape at the edge of the sea. The speaker looks beyond "brittle towns asleep" and observes the "stealing needles of foam" threading the "creeping shores." The imagery here is delicate and precise, capturing the stillness and subtle movement of the scene. The "eyeless miles" of the ocean pour "upon me," suggesting a vast, indifferent force. The "chattering sunset" dies ludicrously, contrasting the serene beauty of the scene with a hint of absurdity. As night falls, the moon is described as "hiding in her hair," a personification that adds a touch of mystery and intimacy to the natural world. The poem concludes with a sense of reverence for the "lily of heaven," a symbol of purity and dreams, as the speaker imagines covering her "briefness" with singing, birds, and rain's pearls.

III.

In the third poem, Cummings explores the vibrancy and ephemerality of life. He charges "laughing" into the "strenuous briefness" of life, with its "handorgans and April / darkness, friends." This suggests a joyful embrace of life's fleeting moments, even as they are fleeting and sometimes tinged with darkness. The poem captures the energy and spontaneity of life, as well as the inevitability of its passing.

IV.

The fourth poem is a reflection on creativity and the power of nature. The speaker declares, "i am going to utter a tree," an ambitious and almost defiant act of creation. The process of creation is likened to the earth itself, with its "reckless oral darkness" and the "thin impulse" of life. The speaker dreams of roses and spring, imagining the worms "rushing through loam" as a metaphor for the hidden forces that drive growth and life. The act of creation is described as a physical effort, "pressing" leaves and roses into existence. The poem ends with an image of a kiss, a moment of intimate connection and creation.

V.

In the fifth poem, Cummings offers a meditation on the wonder of humanity and the structures we create. The poem begins with the assertion that "any man is wonderful," a statement that celebrates the complexity and uniqueness of each individual. The poem contrasts this with the rigid, impersonal structures of modern life, such as skyscrapers, which "bulge in the looseness of morning" but become "unutterably crisp" in twilight. The poem suggests a tension between the organic, fluid nature of humanity and the cold, rigid structures we build around ourselves.

VI.

The sixth poem is a surreal and haunting depiction of a street scene involving an organ grinder and his monkey. The poem describes the "gasping organ" and the "fattish hand" turning the crank, as the music fills the air with "motheaten tunes." The scene is both grotesque and enchanting, as "desperate elves and hopeless gnomes and frantic fairies" spill out of the battered box, filling the air with "atrocious melody." The children watch in fear and fascination as the monkey performs, picking up coins and eating peanuts. The poem shifts into a more introspective and disturbing tone as the speaker identifies with the monkey, feeling the "jerk of the little string" and the pressure to perform. The poem ends with the speaker, now fully embodying the monkey, gliding into the "women-coloured twilight," reflecting on the absurdity and tragedy of life.

I. (revisited)

The final section revisits the themes of departure and transition, as the speaker "glides" into the twilight and "swim[s]" into the "big vermilion departure." The poem plays with language and perception, questioning the nature of reality and the world. The speaker wonders if the world is "probably made / of roses & hello," a whimsical and poignant reflection on the beauty and impermanence of life. The poem concludes with a sense of resignation and acceptance, as the speaker acknowledges the inevitable farewells and the ashes that follow.

"Post Impressions: 1-6" by E.E. Cummings is a rich and multifaceted exploration of life, creativity, and the passage of time. Through his distinctive style and imagery, Cummings captures the fleeting nature of existence, the complexity of human experience, and the beauty that can be found in both the ordinary and the extraordinary. The poems in this series invite the reader to see the world through the poet's eyes, where every moment is filled with potential and meaning, even in its transience.

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