maggie and milly and molly and may
By e.e. cummings
e.e cummings (1894-1962)
• Edward Estlin Cummings, often written in all
lowercase as e e cummings, was an American
poet, painter, essayist, author, and
playwright.
• He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two
autobiographical novels, four plays, and
several essays.
• He is often regarded as one of the most
important American poets of the 20th
century.
• He often used lowercase lettering in his
poems which is one of the distinctive features
of his poetry.
Poem Analysis
• In the poem the speaker explores a series of emotions through the
eyes of four young girls. These girls are innocently playing on the
beach and experiencing different emotions, some of which are more
pleasant than others. Throughout the piece, there are examples of
Cumming’s “rule-breaking” when it comes to his use of capitalization
and punctuation. This is one of the main features of Cumming’s work
that sets it apart from his contemporaries.
• Through four young girls, the poet explores happiness, comfort,
friendship, fear, and reflection. “maggie and milly and molly and may”
are at the beach having quite different experiences. One listens to
music in a seashell, another finds a starfish, one experiences fear
while being chased by a crab, and the final reflect on loneliness and
the broader world. As a conclusion, the speaker notes how important
the seashore is, and what one can find there.
Themes
• In ‘maggie and milly and molly and may’ the poet explores the
broader theme of life and all of its emotional experiences. The
most central of these is loss and comfort. The speaker alludes
to a cycle that all human beings go through when something is
lost, like another person or a relationship, and then they find
something in return, themselves. Cummings uses the beach as
the center of life, the place where everyone can and should go
in order to reclaim themselves in the face of all emotional
upheaval. The poet also makes sure to tap into other emotional
states, joy, friendship, and fear. These can also define one’s life
and be found along the seashore.
Structure and Form
• ‘maggie and milly and molly and may’ by E. E. Cummings is a twelveline poem that is divided into sets of two lines, known as couplets.
These lines do not follow a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern,
meaning that they are written in free verse. But, this doesn’t mean
they are without rhyme or rhythm altogether. For example, the
endings of lines one and two, with “may” and “day” are perfect
rhymes. The same can be said for the final two couplets with “stone”
and “alone,” as well as “me” and “sea.”
Literary devices
• Alliteration e.g., the title “m”
• Personification e.g., “a shell that sang”
• Enjambment: run on lines “sang so sweetly”
• Simile e.g. “as small as a world and as large as alone.”
Vocabulary
• Befriended: act as or become a friend to someone, especially when
they need help or support.
• Stranded: left without the means to move from somewhere.
• Languid: weak or faint from illness or fatigue.