Born October 14, 1894, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, EE Cummings became an innovative poet known for his lack of stylistic and structural conformity, e.g. never, how he associates words and how he plays with sound. His father was a prominent personality who was a minister and teacher, while his mother showered him with affection which perhaps shaped his love poems. These shaped his characteristics in his poems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned'?Get Original Essay Cummings often adopted these aspects of his life in his work as a number of his poems feature a forceful and often non-violent style. conventional with words and punctuation symbols carefully thrown onto the page that appear to make little sense, until closer analysis during which the underlying meaning of the work becomes increasingly defined . This style has remained consistent since "Cummings's unconventional style seems well established even in his early works." This can be seen in the poem as it begins with “somewhere I have never traveled” in the first stanza. This highlights a more unique modernist style that no other author can really achieve in the same way. Additionally, Cummings' choice of not capitalizing the "i" is used in all of his poems, including this one, for emphasis. It serves to emphasize the de-emphasis of the individual or speaker and to draw attention to the line itself. Cummings' work often does not follow the conventional rules that grammar typically follows. In addition, a number of Cummings' poems often feature intentional spelling mistakes with which Cummings also invents many compound words. In “somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond,” the use of the word “unclose” highlights this characteristic Cummings stylistic element. Additionally, Cumming's style also focuses primarily on putting words together. The association of words produces the effect of intensity of emotion expressed in the form of love in several of his poems. This is demonstrated by the way “touch skillfully” is blended to emphasize the extremity of the speaker's thoughts. These are terribly modernist aspects that ultimately contribute to the meaning of the poem. This is illustrated by the preference for the ambiguity of the ideas expressed in the poem. Cumming states that he "can't touch because they're too close." It primarily serves to help Cummings express his ideas and message in a distinctive way that often resonates more with audiences. One of the main aspects that sets Cumming's poetry apart is the way he plays with sound. He changes his beat count according to different pentameters, many critics ridiculed him as "childish and sentimental and undermining the progress of poetry". This is best demonstrated by “your slightest glance will easily open me even if I have closed like fingers, you always open myself petal by petal at the opening of spring”. Cummings' interesting stylistic choices are informed by outside influences such as "James Joyce, T.S.Eliot and Ezra Pound, who encouraged him to break away from traditional genteel poetry and opt for something a little more idiosyncratic." These choices allow Cumming to explain an unknown, ambiguous but unshakable love. This is common with EE Cummings as he often writes love poems succumbing to ambiguous love. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get an article now »..