The pretty how town

[Ecurb]

For years, one of my favorite poems has been "anyone lived in a pretty how town" by e.e. cummings. Here it is:


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

I was recently reading a critique of the poem, and the critic interpreted "pretty" to mean "somewhat", as it would if one were to say, "I live in a pretty big town". I always thought it meant "beautiful", as in "a pretty girl". I suppose either works. Does anyone else have an opinion?

I like the poem because the sounds are lovely,and the repetition of "sun moon stars rain" sounds like an incantation. I also find cummings' ability to find words that seem to make little sense emotionally resonant. How did he come up with lines like "earth by april", so strange yet so laden with hidden meaning?

[Pompey Bum]

Thanks for that, Ecurb. My initial response would have been the somewhat sense of pretty. But looking it over, I imagine cummings was playing a kind of homonym game, with pretty in the sense of beautiful being used ironically--so pretty-seeming town. And the back and forth ambiguity that gives the reader was probably the point.

[Ecurb]

One reason I initially thought "pretty" meant "good-looking" is that some of the lines are obviously transposed for dramatic effect. "with up so floating many bells down" seems to mean, "with so many bells floating up and down", which is a "pretty" sight. So I interpreted the first line to transpose to, "anyone lived in how pretty a town", in part because that makes sense in light of the second line. In other words, the first two lines literally mean (I thought) "anyone lived in how pretty a town with so many bells floating up and down." You are probably right about the dual meanings, though. Also, I love the way cummings takes simple (if poetic) meanings and changes them, and endows them with beauty and elegance, by adjusting the order of the words.

[tailor STATELY]

It is a fun poem to read and reread. Many months ago I read an analysis at Shmoop that helped me with some understanding... https://www.shmoop.com/anyone-who-lived-in-a-pretty-how-town/analysis.html

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Ecurb]

Thanks, tailor. I've liked the poem for years, so much of the shmoop commentary wasn't new to me. But perhaps I'll read it and comment, if I get a chance.