Sunday, February 17, 2019, 1:00 P.M. To 4:00 P.M.
On the jacket of the book e.e. cummings: Complete Poems 1904-1962, editor George J. Firmage writes: At the time of his death in 1962 e.e. cummings was, next to Robert Frost, the most widely read poet in America. This might be due to his prolific pen. Wikipedia records a busy history of Edward Estlin Cummings including writing 2,900 poems, 2 autobiographical novels, four plays, and several essays. Poetry prompts of Cummings’ writings for this class were partly found in the above book.
Was Cummings described as using an eccentric, avant-garde, nontraditional style because he used conjunctions (if, because) as nouns, revising linguistic and grammatical tenets? Or was it how he invented words to suit his own aims in a poem? Perhaps he was regarded as an experimental poet because he made unconventional writing popular with many readers. As a member of the Imagist clan with Pound, Lowell, Lawrence, Williams & others, did he revel in rebelling against romanticism and Victorian poetry?
Join Jim Moreno in this poetry adventure in which you will don the literary garments of brevity, clarity, and symbol with your pen. You’ll compose original verse by hearing and seeing prompts from cummings, and related poets. There will be synchronicity for you in style on the page, in the sound of the words, and in meaning defined by meter and method. This combination, or is it an internal collaboration, will prove to be close to your heart as you write in discovery. For beginning and seasoned poets.