what creates the tone in next to of course god america i

E.E. Cummings “next to of course god america i” is a poem about patriotism and the war. The poem starts off with the speaker being someone that is a patriot and feels strongly about America. As the poem progresses it takes a different approach becoming very sarcastic.

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What is the poem next to of course God America about?

The poet effectively posits the tone and purpose for “next to of course god america i”, through an, albeit grammatically convoluted, yet suggestively crafted, seven word title, and by continuing on with the poem as a satirical dramatization of the conflict between a public speaker’s empty charade of patriotism, and the audience’s ...

How does the speaker feel about the war in the poem?

Jan 01, 2015 · E.E. Cummings “next to of course god america i” is a poem about patriotism and the war. The poem starts off with the speaker being someone that is a patriot and feels strongly about America. As the poem progresses it takes a different approach becoming very sarcastic.

What does “thy sons acclaim you Glorious Name by Gorry” mean?

Like many of e. e. cummings’ poems, ‘next to of course god america i’ is difficult to follow because he deliberately wrests language into new shapes, bending the rules of syntax, so that we begin (without a capital letter, as is his trademark style) with the declaration ‘next to of course god america i / love you’, which essentially means ‘next to God (of course, he comes first), I love …

What does the speaker do at the end of next to of course god america i?

With the last line of 'next to of course god america i', the speaker reveals the readers that all that he has been saying is not spoken by him but to him. However, his decision to repeat what he has been told reveals that the ideas resonate with him.

What does the speaker in Cummings next to of course god america i use as some of his lines?

'next to of course god america i': summary of the poem Throughout, cummings mocks or makes light of many of the slogans and features associated with the United States of America, such as when he follows the phrase 'land of the pilgrims' with the offhand words 'and so forth'.

What allusions are in next to of course god america i?

The opening allusions in lines 1 through 3, from "The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) and “America/My Country 'Tis of Thee” (1831), are also used in Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963.

What does the title next to of course god america i mean?

E.E. Cummings “next to of course god america i” is a poem about patriotism and the war. The poem starts off with the speaker being someone that is a patriot and feels strongly about America. As the poem progresses it takes a different approach becoming very sarcastic.Jan 1, 2015

What is the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls about?

'the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls' by E. E. Cummings is about the differences in social classes, ignorance, and reality. The speaker judges the Cambridge women for the fiction they engage in and their lack of interest in the real world.

What is literary devices in a story?

Literary devices are specific techniques that allow a writer to convey a deeper meaning that goes beyond what's on the page. Literary devices work alongside plot and characters to elevate a story and prompt reflection on life, society, and what it means to be human.Sep 7, 2021

Where does patriotism come from?

From Greek Patriotes "fellow countryman," from Patrios "of one's fathers," Patris "fatherland." The term Patriot was "applied to barbarians who were perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive who had only a common Patris or fatherland." The original European meaning of Patriots applied to anyone who was a fellow ...

Is a sonnet?

Traditionally, the sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, employing one of several rhyme schemes, and adhering to a tightly structured thematic organization. The name is taken from the Italian sonetto, which means "a little sound or song." Discover more poetic terms.

What is the meaning of "next to of course God America I"?

E.E. Cummings “next to of course god america i” is a poem about patriotism and the war. The poem starts off with the speaker being someone that is a patriot and feels strongly about America. As the poem progresses it takes a different approach becoming very sarcastic. In this sarcasm the writer shows that we are ignoring the negative aspects ...

Why is the poem "Next to of course God America I" in quotation marks?

Most of the poem is in quotation marks, probably because it was from a public speech. This unknown speaker could well have been a politician or a soldier showing his patriotism and religious belief.

What does the last line of the poem show?

Thus the poem by E.E. Cummings “next to of course america i” has a lot of meaning. The title shows faith, patriotism, and self-importance.

Why is the tone of the poem sarcasm?

The element of the poem is mostly tone because it depicts sarcasm and even anger largely in part because of the fact that some people would go as far as to die for patriotism. The entire poem was written within quotation marks and had absolutely no punctuation which made it seem like a fast speech.

Where did Cummings work?

He worked in France in the ambulance corp, which later didn’t seem like such a great idea when he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp in Normandy on suspicion of espionage and undesirable activities. When Cummings returned to the United States he was drafted into the army and served the 12th division.

What is the rhyme of the poem "Thy Sons"?

This poem is a satirical sonnet with a rhyme of ABABCDCDEFGFEG and thirteen lines.

How many lines are there in a Petrarchan sonnet?

The Petrarchan or Italian sonnet is divided into two sections: an octave or eight-line section and a sestet or six-line section. But unlike a Petrarchan sonnet, which uses the same two rhymes (rhymed abbaabba) in the octave, cummings makes use of seven different rhymes, as we find in an English sonnet (rhymed ababcdcdefefgg ).

What is the opening line of the Star Spangled Banner?

The poem goes on to summon a number of earlier patriotic poems about the United States, such as Francis Scott Key’s ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ (better known as the US national anthem), specifically the opening line ‘Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light’ , and the patriotic hymn ‘ America (My Country, ’Tis of Thee) ’.

Who is the most experimental modernist poet?

The American poet e. e. cummings (as he styled himself) was one of the most linguistically experimental mainstream modernist poets writing in the United States in the twentieth century, and his poem ‘next to of course god america i’ is a fine example of his innovative style.

Who made the point about great religious works of art risking the charge of blasphemy?

Sir Christopher Ricks, the literary critic, made a similar point about great religious works of art risking the charge of blasphemy. The same, we might say, is true of all interesting patriotic poems. You can read ‘next to of course god america i’ by Cummings here before proceeding to our analysis.

Hollow Patriotism

The speaker in "next to of course god america i" speaks of faith, nationalism, and sacrifice in glowing terms. He quotes American patriotic hymns but is so cynical in his presentation that he does not even bother to finish his quotations.

Speech and Silence

Although the subject of the poem concerns political rhetoric, the concepts of speech and silence permeate the poem at multiple levels. There are 13 lines of speech and one line of silence; whereas the speech is an unbroken stream of noise, the line of silence is deliberately punctuated.

Tragedy of War

In ineptly attempting to praise the death of the soldiers, the speaker in the poem highlights the tragedy of their deaths. The ideas they fight and die for, as expressed by the speaker, are a string of half-formed nonsense, mouthed by someone who does not care enough to even finish his sentences.

What is the satire of Cummings?

It is also a satire on the type of blind jingoism that distorts otherwise intelligent minds in relation to their country. cummings applies a reductio ad absurdum technique, mocking the way in which people blinded by patriotism can acquire illogical and dangerous beliefs.

Why was Ee Cummings imprisoned?

ee cummings, a pacifist, was imprisoned during World War One for his supposed disloyalty to America. He was also accused, falsely, of being a spy. After the war he moved to Paris where he wrote satirical poems.

How many lines are there in Cummings?

These are broken up by few dismissive words, like, “and so forth” and “what of it”. It is notable that there are fourteen lines — the length of a sonnet.

Is the sonnet witty or nonsensical?

This is ironic, as sonnets are formal, structured and intelligently witty, whereas this poem is nonsensical gibberish — though of course also extremely intelligent. cummings deliberately makes the poem incomprehensible, like the extreme patriotism he is mocking.

What line does Cummings use in his speech?

Cummings' speaker uses an amusing contradiction that alludes to senseless babbling in line 6, as he speaks of “every language even deafanddumb.” He then proceeds in line 8 to hyperbolically allude to common folk/salt-of-the-earth clichés, sprinkled in his text like field fertilizer; “by jingo by gee by gosh by gum” is his attempt to find the right metaphor for his plain, simple audience, the more easily to appeal to them as a man of the people. His previous allusion contradicts him, however: The speaker, deaf to his audience, speaks to the dumb who cannot reply.

What are the opening allusions in the Star Spangled Banner?

The opening allusions in lines 1 through 3, from "The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814) and “America/My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (1831), are also used in Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963. The whole cloth of cummings’ text, written nearly a century after the patriotic hymns, weaves deliberate deceit, however; it is far from a dreamer’s vision. The orator speaks of the passage of centuries in line 5, adding “we should worry,” but his warning is lost in the flood of his political rhetoric. We should indeed worry if politicians like cummings' speaker retain their powers of persuasion.

Why talk of beauty in Keats?

In line 9, the speaker asks rhetorically, “Why talk of beauty?” an allusion to Keats’ “beauty is truth, truth beauty,” as he drums up false sentiment for war, alluding hypocritically to the honor of casualties: “what could be more beautiful than these heroic happy dead” who, in a mixed metaphor, rush like “lions to the slaughter” rather than lambs. The allusion to the alleged biblical verse of lion lying with lamb -- a phrase that occurs nowhere in Scripture -- has happened already to these warriors; they are lambs to a slaughter the speaker urges upon them.