Poets Reading Poetry: E.E. Cummings

Poetry is meant to be read aloud, but rarely is. As Oscar Wilde once said, "A poet can survive everything but a misprint."

So, cutting out the middle man, here is where we'll post famous poets reading their own poetry--the words off the page and in your ears, as they intended. And hopefully nothing is lost in the process.


Today: E.E. Cummings

In 1952, Harvard University awarded E.E. Cummings an honorary seat as a lecturing professor. The Charles Eliot Norton Professorship of Poetry is named after a former member of the Harvard faculty and is awarded to someone deemed distinguished in the entire arts field, not just poetry. Indeed, the award is granted to "poetry in the broadest sense," which explains why from 1939-1940 composer Igor Stravinsky held the seat, and Aaron Copland was bestowed with the honor the year before Cummings. (For 2014, famed jazz musician Herbie Hancock is the award winner.)

Incumbents deliver six lectures during their term. For Cummings, the lectures were just the opposite, as his speeches were published under the title "i--six nonlectures." As the book states, Cummings warned his audience "I haven't the remotest intention of posing as a lecturer."

On May 28, 1953, during one such (non)lecture recorded here, Cummings read his poem anyone lived in a pretty how town, which was published in 1940.

His voice is crisp, staccato, deliberate--an educated, yet mildly creepy tone in the vein of a B-grade movie monster. Picture Bela Lugosi's Dracula, circa 1930.


anyone lived a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain


recording: BrainPickings.org