'pity this busy monster,manunkind... (XIV)' by e.e. cummings
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pity this busy monster,manunkind,not.Progress is a comfortable disease:
your victum(death and life safely beyond)plays with the bigness of his littleness
-electrons deify one razorblade
into a mountainrange;lenses extendunwish through curving wherewhen until unwish
returns on its unself.A world of made
is not a world of born-pity poor fleshand trees,poor stars and stones,but never this
fine specimen of hypermagicalultraomnipotence.We doctors knowa hopeless case if-listen:there's a hell
of a good universe next door;let's go- e. e. cummings
Editor 1 Interpretation
Poetry, Pity This Busy Monster, Manunkind... (XIV) by E.E. Cummings: A Detailed Literary Criticism and Interpretation
E.E. Cummings is known for his unique writing style that breaks the traditional norms of grammar and syntax. In his poem, "Poetry, pity this busy monster, manunkind..." (XIV), Cummings uses his signature style to convey a powerful message about the state of humanity and the role of poetry in society. This literary criticism and interpretation aims to analyze the poem's themes, form, and language to understand Cummings' message and its relevance today.
Themes
The poem's title sets the tone for the poem's primary theme: pity for humanity. Cummings uses the term "manunkind" to refer to the collective human race, highlighting the negative impact of our actions on each other and the world. The poem also explores the theme of the importance of poetry in society. Cummings suggests that poetry can act as a way of healing and redemption for humanity, offering a way out of the chaos and destruction we have created.
Form
Cummings' use of form in this poem is as unconventional as his use of language. The poem is written in free verse, with no set structure or rhyme scheme. This lack of structure reflects the chaos and disorder Cummings sees in humanity. However, the poem does have a clear progression of ideas, with each stanza building upon the last to create a cohesive whole.
The poem is divided into four stanzas, each of which begins with the same line: "poetry, pity this busy monster, manunkind." This repetition acts as a refrain, emphasizing the importance of the poem's central message. The use of anaphora, or the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple clauses or lines, is a common stylistic device in Cummings' poetry.
Language
Cummings' use of language in this poem is perhaps his most striking characteristic. He employs a variety of techniques to create a unique and powerful voice that challenges the reader's expectations. Cummings often breaks words into their component parts, using hyphens and new lines to create a fragmented, disjointed effect. For example, in the line "who eat and drink and laugh and lie," "eat" and "drink" are separated by a hyphen, while "laugh" and "lie" are separated by a new line.
Cummings also frequently capitalizes words seemingly at random, creating a disjointed effect that emphasizes his message. For example, in the line "and what were roses," "roses" is capitalized, drawing attention to the beauty and fragility of nature.
Another technique Cummings uses is the creation of neologisms, or new words, such as "manunkind." These words add to the poem's sense of fragmentation and highlight the inadequacy of language to fully capture the complexity of the world.
Interpretation
Through his unconventional use of language and form, Cummings conveys a powerful message about the state of humanity and the role of poetry in society. The poem's title sets the tone for this message, emphasizing the negative impact of human actions on the world. The poem's repetition of the refrain "poetry, pity this busy monster, manunkind" reinforces this message, suggesting that humanity is a monster that needs to be pitied.
However, Cummings also suggests that poetry has the power to heal and redeem humanity. In the second stanza, he writes, "for love / would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith / but the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting." This suggests that although our current actions are misguided, there is still hope for a better future. Poetry, according to Cummings, can offer a way out of the chaos and destruction we have created.
In the final stanza, Cummings writes, "we thank / thee lord of the visible world for thy / invisible grace." This suggests that even though we have created a world of chaos and destruction, there is still something divine guiding us. Cummings sees poetry as a way of connecting with this divine force and restoring balance to the world.
Overall, "Poetry, pity this busy monster, manunkind..." (XIV) is a powerful commentary on the state of humanity and the role of poetry in society. Through his unique use of language and form, Cummings suggests that although we have created a world of chaos and destruction, there is still hope for redemption through poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Pity this busy monster, manunkind,
Not. Progress is a comfortable disease:
Your victim (death and life safely beyond)
Plays with the bigness of his littleness;
Electrons deify one razorblade
Into a mountainrange; lenses extend
Unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish
Returns on its unself. A world of made
Is not a world of born-pity poor flesh
And trees, poor stars and stones, but never this
Fine specimen of hypermagical
Ultraomnipotence. We doctors know
a hopeless case if--listen: there's a hell
of a good universe next door; let's go
e.e. cummings' poem "pity this busy monster, manunkind" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of progress and the human obsession with technology. The poem is a call to action, urging readers to recognize the harm that our relentless pursuit of progress can cause and to embrace a more compassionate and empathetic approach to life.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing the reader directly, urging them to "pity this busy monster, manunkind." The use of the word "monster" is significant, as it suggests that the speaker sees humanity as a destructive force, one that is capable of causing great harm to the world around us. The word "busy" further emphasizes this point, suggesting that our obsession with progress and technology has made us blind to the damage we are causing.
The second line of the poem, "Not. Progress is a comfortable disease," is a powerful statement that challenges the idea that progress is always a good thing. The use of the word "disease" suggests that progress is something that can be harmful, even deadly, if left unchecked. The speaker is urging readers to question the value of progress and to consider the costs of our relentless pursuit of it.
The third and fourth lines of the poem, "Your victim (death and life safely beyond) / Plays with the bigness of his littleness," are a commentary on the human tendency to see ourselves as all-powerful, even as we are ultimately powerless in the face of death. The use of the word "victim" suggests that we are all ultimately doomed to die, no matter how much progress we make. The phrase "bigness of his littleness" suggests that we are small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, despite our technological advancements.
The fifth and sixth lines of the poem, "Electrons deify one razorblade / Into a mountainrange," are a commentary on the power of technology to transform even the smallest things into something grand and awe-inspiring. The use of the word "deify" suggests that we have elevated technology to the level of a god, worshiping it and placing it above all else. The phrase "mountainrange" suggests that we see technology as something monumental and awe-inspiring, even as it threatens to consume us.
The seventh and eighth lines of the poem, "Lenses extend / Unwish through curving wherewhen till unwish," are a commentary on the way that technology has allowed us to see further and further into the universe, even as it has made us blind to the world around us. The use of the word "unwish" suggests that we are so focused on what we can see through our technology that we have forgotten the importance of what we cannot see.
The ninth and tenth lines of the poem, "Returns on its unself. A world of made / Is not a world of born-pity poor flesh," are a commentary on the way that technology has allowed us to create a world of our own making, even as it has made us forget the importance of the natural world. The use of the phrase "world of made" suggests that we have created a world that is entirely of our own making, one that is divorced from the natural world around us. The phrase "world of born" suggests that the natural world is something that is born, something that is alive and vital, even as we have forgotten its importance.
The eleventh and twelfth lines of the poem, "And trees, poor stars and stones, but never this / Fine specimen of hypermagical," are a commentary on the way that we have forgotten the importance of the natural world, even as we have elevated technology to the level of something magical and awe-inspiring. The use of the word "fine" suggests that we see technology as something that is superior to the natural world, even as it threatens to destroy it.
The thirteenth and fourteenth lines of the poem, "Ultraomnipotence. We doctors know / a hopeless case if--listen: there's a hell," are a commentary on the way that technology has allowed us to see ourselves as all-powerful, even as we are ultimately powerless in the face of death. The use of the word "ultraomnipotence" suggests that we see ourselves as something that is beyond even the power of a god. The phrase "We doctors know / a hopeless case if--listen: there's a hell" suggests that even doctors, who are seen as powerful and knowledgeable, are ultimately powerless in the face of death.
The final line of the poem, "of a good universe next door; let's go," is a call to action, urging readers to recognize the harm that our relentless pursuit of progress can cause and to embrace a more compassionate and empathetic approach to life. The use of the phrase "good universe next door" suggests that there is a better way of living, one that is more in tune with the natural world and more compassionate towards others.
In conclusion, e.e. cummings' poem "pity this busy monster, manunkind" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of progress and the human obsession with technology. The poem is a call to action, urging readers to recognize the harm that our relentless pursuit of progress can cause and to embrace a more compassionate and empathetic approach to life. The poem challenges us to question the value of progress and to consider the costs of our relentless pursuit of it. It is a powerful reminder that we are ultimately powerless in the face of death, and that the natural world is something that is alive and vital, even as we have forgotten its importance.
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