100 Selected Poems

If you like Cummings, you'll like the book. Cummings was almost worshiped when I was an undergraduate. His reputation then started to decline as it came to be felt that his technique was more trickery and an attempt to snag attention than a way to impart greater meaning. After some years of almost benign neglect, I have seen more and more references to Cummings and suspect that with some winnowing, his reputation may tend to move toward an equilibrium. Some of the poems are quite good and some are too gimmick-infused for my taste. Read and decide!As an end note, the layout of the book does the content no favors. The type is quite small [9 or 10 point] and the inter-lineal spacing is tight. Because of the title, "100 Selected Poems," each poem is given a huge number that hovers above the text but not balanced on the page spread. None of this affects the contents, but it makes ease of reading a hit-and-run victim.

Edward Estlin Cummings has been a favorite of mine since I first experienced his poetry, his art, while at Sewanee... it must have been in 1959...maybe 1960. His poetry can turn your brain outside in and shake all the crap that's worrying you out like hanging out your wet, clean underwear. His stylized printing of his name in all lower case fascinated me. His total abandonment of convention made him, to me, a renegade hero. And of course I, like hundreds of other aspiring writers, imitated or attempted to imitate him. I didn’t come close. There are other volumes of Cummings’ work in my library. I’m going to keep this thin volume in my backpack. You never know when a brain jog will help. I’m in advertising…TV, radio and print and I see a little of his influence prying its way to the surface in a lot of the stuff I produce. I know it’s there; I doubt that anyone else notices.

I like to refer to E. E. Cummings as a master of metaphor and incoherency. He may have a list of stupidly random words and phrases like "colon hobby photography" in a poem and then suddenly use a really neat phrase like "pulling all the sky over him with one smile" in the midst of the messy jumble.But he RARELY becomes more coherent for more than a stanza. Here's one I think is good:pleasure and pain are merely surfaces(one itself showing, itself hiding one)life's only and true value neither islove makes the little thickness of the coinAnd here's one that ain't quite up to it:nothing may, quiteyour my (my yourand) self without,completely darebe beautifulAnyhow, in addition to a large mess, there are many good metaphors in his poems - comparing the sun to a worker striking for a living wage, and death putting on a universe (like a garment I imagine), but his primary trait that sets him apart from other poets seems to be his constant personification of words like when, where, until, most, etc. The punctuation really isn't very noticable.I like the imagination of Cummings, but sometimes he's just too incoherent for my taste. Although he did say a few things I'd like to keep in mind:"Deeds cannot dream what dreams can do""How should contented fools of fact envision the mystery of freedom?"These kind of remind me of the Road Song of the Bandar Log from the Jungle Book.

For anyone who dismisses cummings as a lightweight poet toying with typography, this book will be an eye-opener. The best of these poems are thoroughly endearing; full of warmth, freshness, and humor. Some readers will be surprised to learn that cummings is especially fine in the love poems, with memorable lines such as: "since feeling is first / who pays any attention / to the syntax of things / will never wholly kiss you;"At the same time, unfortunately, this collection provides numerous examples of cummings' more irritating work. Virtually all of the best poems are in the first half of this chronological volume; after that, cummings devolves into increasingly tiresome verbal gimmicks. The actual content in these later poems is slight, and the self-congratulatory tone becomes grating. Nonetheless, given the high quality of the early poetry, this book remains a firm recommendation.

This is not, not, not, not a book for someone attempting to get into poetry. This is also not a book for someone who is a beginner. E.E. Cummings knows all of the rules of poetry, but breaks nearly every one for the sake of originality which makes it difficult to read at times, especially if you're not reading it out loud.Although he is a great poet, and certainly unique, even his small poems need a great deal of time to process. So despite this book only being slightly over 100 pages long, expect to spend some time with it.For those who read poetry, enjoy poetry, and prefer poetry, I am sure you will find something intriguing and awesome inside of these pages, and for that reason I think it still has merit. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a poetry-reader myself and so it was a bit of a struggle. Still, his poignant language and cunning word choice kept me intrigued, so there's that.

I bought this book when I was looking for a poet to emulate and get inspired by. e.e. Cummings is one of those poets that you can sing his poems as you read them. Almost similar to Langston Hughes. This is definitely a book for your collection if you want some musical poetry with rhythm and substance. Our opinions may differ but for me, I enjoyed this book very much. One of the greatest American poets out there!

I have bought this book 5 times in my life having lost copys to friends and ex-girl friends who do not want to give it back. I keep buying it even though I have the complete works of ee cummings at home. It is a small distilled and potent book. Like a glass of hard-lemonade in the sunshine.These poems are his less language experiments and more poetry. the book includes Poems such as He said she said and Some where I have traveled boyond any experience.The poems are so well crafted and precise yet emotional. The rythum of these poems is also captivating. Cummings is an artist of words who with 50 word may be able to beat any picture.

I really like EE Cummings, the only reason im not giving this book a 5 out of 5 its because my favourite poem is not on it! (I carry your heart)

How could anyone not love e e cummings' poetry?

Bought this for my daughter and she loved it.

not sure how much I like this selection but as stated else where better read aloud

Love it