Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

Conclusion

The passion, hope and deep appreciation for life in e.e. cummings’ poetry embody a youthful

spirit and a sense of spontaneous delight. Cummings’ investigative exploration into the irony

of youth and the transient nature of childhood, emphasizes the paradoxical nature of ageing

and urges readers to experience the joie de vivre of the immediate present. In other words,

cummings wants people to live as though young and retain one’s fiery passion and unrelenting

optimism. The spirit of youth within cummings’ poetry extends to representations of

revitalization and new beginnings through symbols like Spring and childhood. In every poem,

cummings values youthful passion and intuition over logical reason. This ubiquitous idea

brings to life cummings’ youthful spirit and passionate vivacity with resounding force. His

very register reflects a disregard for traditionalist technique in favor of embracing a youthful

expression of feeling and a sense of spontaneous delight. The synthesis of these elements,

combined with cummings’ unique style and refreshing phrasing, forms the youthful and child-

like spirit for which e.e. cummings is renowned, as well as the uplifting sense of hope and

spontaneous delight that underpin his poetry.

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