E.E. Cummings "Etctera" The Unpublished Poems

[Rich Engle]

There are, at least to my knowledge, two versions of this book of Cummings; I prefer the latter, though both are quite good. It was edited by George James Firmage and Richard S. Kennedy.

This collection represents "pulled" poems from various private libraries, academic institutions, and such. They chose to represent carefully.

I particularly like the love poems. Also, there is a section exploring his work in around the 1917-and-forward era where he was experimenting with how type sits on paper; this is more difficult to digest, but I do believe that, mainly, he achieved his goal.

I believe these are mostly available on web, so I do not hesitate to give example. It is simply beautiful work.

I like many, but I will pick one for example:

____

From E.E. Cummings

Etcetera

The Unpublished Poems

(most recent copyright: Richard Kennedy,1983: Liveright Publishing Corporation

www.wwnorton.com

London

my youthful lady will have no other lovers

yet none with hearts more motionless than i

when to my lust she plesantly uncovers

the thrilling hunger of her possible body.

Noone can be whose arms more hugely cry

whose lips more singularly starve to press her--

noone shall ever do unto my lady

what my blood does, when i hold and kiss her

(or if sometime she nakedly invite

me all her nakedness deeply to win

her flesh is like all the 'cellos of night

against the morning's single violin)

more far a thing than ships or flowers tell us,

her kiss furiously me understands

like a bright forest of fleet and huge trees

--then what if she shall have an hundred fellows?

she will remember,as I think, my hands

(it were not well to be in this thing jealous.)

My youthful lust will have no further ladies.

[anonrobt]

There are, at least to my knowledge, two versions of this book of Cummings; I prefer the latter, though both are quite good. It was edited by George James Firmage and Richard S. Kennedy.

This collection represents "pulled" poems from various private libraries, academic institutions, and such. They chose to represent carefully.

I particularly like the love poems. Also, there is a section exploring his work in around the 1917-and-forward era where he was experimenting with how type sits on paper; this is more difficult to digest, but I do believe that, mainly, he achieved his goal.

I believe these are mostly available on web, so I do not hesitate to give example. It is simply beautiful work.

I like many, but I will pick one for example:

____

From E.E. Cummings

Etcetera

The Unpublished Poems

(most recent copyright: Richard Kennedy,1983: Liveright Publishing Corporation

www.wwnorton.com

London

my youthful lady will have no other lovers

yet none with hearts more motionless than i

when to my lust she plesantly uncovers

the thrilling hunger of her possible body.

Noone can be whose arms more hugely cry

whose lips more singularly starve to press her--

noone shall ever do unto my lady

what my blood does, when i hold and kiss her

(or if sometime she nakedly invite

me all her nakedness deeply to win

her flesh is like all the 'cellos of night

against the morning's single violin)

more far a thing than ships or flowers tell us,

her kiss furiously me understands

like a bright forest of fleet and huge trees

--then what if she shall have an hundred fellows?

she will remember,as I think, my hands

(it were not well to be in this thing jealous.)

My youthful lust will have no further ladies.

have always enjoyed cummings - and this only reinforces it...

[Rich Engle]

Thanks. It's a cheap date, too...new is 11.86. I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Etcetera-Unpublished...9047&sr=1-1

Edited March 23, 2009 by Rich Engle

[anonrobt]

Thanks. It's a cheap date, too...new is 11.86. I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Etcetera-Unpublished...9047&sr=1-1

Those are not included in 'the complete cummings' ?

[Rich Engle]

Oh, uh..well, some are, some are not. Dicey question. You'd have to read Firmage's notes. It's very unique. See, the other one you reference from is his first volume of poems, Tulips and Chimneys (1923).

It is a very unique collection, and presented well.

[Mikee]

for any ruffian of the sky

your kingbird doesn’t give a damn-

his royal warcry is I AM

and he’s the soul of chivalry

in terror of whose furious beak

(as sweetly singing creatures know)

cringes the hugest heartless hawk

and veers the vast most crafty crow

your kingbird doesn’t give a damn

for murderers of high estate

whose mongrel creed is Might Makes Right

-his royal warcry is I AM

true to his mate his chicks his friends

he loves because he cannot fear

(you see it in the way he stand

and looks and leaps upon the air)

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