"If"
if freckles were lovely, and day was night and measles were nice and a lie warn't a lie life would be delight but things couldn't go right for in such a sad plight i wouldn't be i if earth was heaven and now was hence and past was present and false was true there might be some sense but I'd be in suspense for on such a pretense you wouldn't be you. if fear was plucky, and globes were square and dirt was cleanly and tears were glee things would seem fair yet they'd all despair for if here was there we wouldn't be we. -e.e cummings (source: theotherpages.org) |
Literal Analysis
The title of the poem was associated with symbolizing possibilities, things that could, but normally don't happen. "If," was then connected to the metaphors Cummings consistently included in the piece, such as "if measles were nice," and "if fear was plucky." He was describing how if these things were to be changed, if the bad and unfair in the world didn't exist, that "life would be delight." Cummings attitude alters from first being optimistic about a life based on the good, then switches perspective to be blunt towards change. In response to his attitude, the poem shifts, and the author begins to imply how if the world wasn't as it is now then everything would be different, including himself, everyone, which helps him to conclude that the bad in the world is there for a reason, so we are able to appreciate happiness rather than take it for grant it. Even so the bad being removed from life, the author also goes on to say that people would find 'despair' in a world of good, displaying a theme that humans may never be satisfied. By the use of diction such as "freckles, earth, measles, heaven, dirt, tears, and globes, " it helps the reader to imagine what Cummings is describing. After having read the poem, the title seems to translate to meaning what could but does not occur, for a reason. Personal Reaction to Poem When first reading "If" I noticed how Cummings included a lot of metaphors in the poem to help create the theme, but I was unsure as to what the overall message was. With so many contrasting words it left me kind of confused because this seemed to be all that the poem consisted of, what was the effect of using "and past was present," or "...globes were square?" After re-reading the poem and through the use of the "TP-FASTT" chart I was able to understand what the poet was trying to portray to the reader. |