Exploration of the Nature of Language in E E Cummings In Just
An Exploration of the Nature of Language in E.E. Cummings’ “in Just-“ On its surface, E.E. Cummings’ “In Just-” reads as a child’s celebration of “piracies…, hopscotch” and the “puddle- / wonderful” springtime (Cummings lines 8, 15, 2). ... Through an analysis that lends consideration to Cummings’ diction and allusions, one will realize how this interpretation is derived and, ultimately, achieve an understanding of how this contrast between sexuality and youthful innocence serves Cummings in his canonical struggle to extend language to new lengths. ... However, an understanding of these lines is tantamount to grasping the way Cummings uses the poem to explore the boundaries of language. ... If one assumes that Cummings has rearranged the words in these lines to achieve such an effect, it logically follows that a subsequent rearrangement will make sense of Cummings’ intent. Thus, our reconstruction of “in Just- / spring” would most likely result in “Just in / spring” (Cummings 1282). ... This accounts for not only the lines’ ambiguity but also places the capitalized “Just” in a spot that makes sense grammatically. ... An alternate interpretation might assert that “Just-” is an abbreviation of Justice, and this, one could argue, would account for the capitalization as well as the hyphen. ... But perhaps no real interpretation is needed—perhaps one needs only recognize that ambiguity is the point, simply a way for Cummings to say that not all can be accepted at its face value.