Blog 2: in Just-

Blog 2
In Just- by E.E. Cummings

1. The poem in Just- by E.E. Cummings was different than any of the poems we have read yet this semester. His style of writing and way of organizing his text and verses is different in that I found the poem did not flow easily when reading it aloud and to myself. I didn’t find there was an underlying message in the poem in that the meaning and content of the poem was easily understandable. I believe it was about childhood and innocence. The words he uses to describe spring and the balloonman brought about different emotions. I felt the words he used to describe spring, “mud-luscious” and “puddle-wonderful”, made me feel like he was talking about spring in a happy and playful way. The words he used to describe the balloonman, “lame”, “queer”, and “goat-footed”, made me feel like the author wanted to portray this man as somewhat creepy. I picture the balloonman as being a clown figure almost who enjoys handing out balloons to young children.
2. E.E. Cummings style of writing in the poem in Just- is unique because he breaks up the poem is odd spots, blends words together, and adds punctuation in spots where one would usually not. In this particular poem the author uses dashes (-) after the title in Just- and between various words throughout the poem. By adding dashes in between mud and luscious, puddle and wonderful, and goat and footed, it gives the reader the sense that the two words are now one and have one meaning. The author also breaks apart phrases by putting only one or a few words in one line instead of stringing them together to allow the poem to have a natural flow when reading it. This aspect of the poem adds to the feeling the reader gets when reading it and how the reader reads it. The poem as a result is read in a disconnected manner, pausing after only saying one or a few words. I found also that his style of writing in this poem is very descriptive and the adjectives he uses to describe the balloonman add to the creepiness of the poem. The balloonman’s characteristics break up the innocent feel the reader may get when reading. The author also joins the names together in the poem. By saying eddieandbill and bettyandisbel I think the poem becomes more childish. It hints to the fact the maybe eddie and bill and betty and isbel are inseparable childhood friends. This adds to the lightheartedness and playful feeling the reader gets from the poem. The different feelings the reader may experience regarding the balloonman and the children playing in spring are in reality presenting an imaginary border between childhood innocence and adulthood.