when was next to of course god america i publised

Is next to of course god america IA sonnet?

next to of course god america i is a 14 line sonnet with a rhyme scheme ababcdcdefgfeg and an inconsistent iambic meter (metre in British English) which helps vary the rhythmic stresses of the lines. Basically this is a hybrid English and Russian sonnet with a cumming's twist - a single line at the end.

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

The next line of the poem uses metaphor “thy sons acclaim you glorious name by gorry by jingo by gee by gosh by gum” it shows the innocence of the soldiers with “thy sons” and so the speaker shows a sort of frustration when replacing explicit words with “by gory by jingo by gee by gosh by gum”.

What is ironic about E.E. Cummings poem next to of course god america i?

With these lines of 'next to of course god america i', the speaker is again heavily sarcastic. He asks a sarcastic and yet rhetorical question, “What could be more beautiful than these heroic happy dead?” In effect, he causes the readers to question the point of patriotism to a dead person.

Who wrote next to the course of God America I?

poet e. e. cummingsThe 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.

What allusions are used in next to the course of 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 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. This piece is one of Cummings' easiest to read.

How do you work cite a poem?

In the Works Cited entry, you start with the poet's name, followed by the title of the poem in quotation marks....Poem on a website.MLA formatAuthor last name, First name. “Poem Title.” Original publication year. Website Name, Day Month Year, URL.MLA in-text citation(Mahon)1 more row•Aug 9, 2019

What must a poem include to be considered free verse?

Here's a quick and simple definition: Free verse is the name given to poetry that doesn't use any strict meter or rhyme scheme. Because it has no set meter, poems written in free verse can have lines of any length, from a single word to much longer.

Is a sonnet?

A sonnet is a one-stanza, 14-line poem, written in iambic pentameter. The sonnet, which derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning “a little sound or song," is "a popular classical form that has compelled poets for centuries," says Poets.org.

Next to of course god america i

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… Read More

About

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. His novel The Enormous Room (1922) was the first of his many literary attacks on authoritarianism and rabid nationalism.

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.

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.

Perspective and Narrator

The poem "next to of course god america i" is narrated in the third person. All but the final line of the poem take the form of a rambling speech by an unidentified speaker who delivers garbled patriotic opinions in the first person.

Tense

The poem "next to of course god america i" is narrated in the past tense. The speech that forms all but the last line of the poem is spoken in the present tense.

About the Title

The title "next to of course god america i" is the first line of the poem, which is common for poems not ascribed a separate or distinct title. The line's lack of standard punctuation and capitalization characterize the poem and the poet, as does the jumbled patriotic tone.

Summary

This study guide for e.e. cummings's next to of course god america i offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.

Themes

Have study documents to share about next to of course god america i? Upload them to earn free Course Hero access!

Lines 1–4

A secondary speaker, who remains unidentified throughout the work, opens the poem by declaring his patriotism. Identifying himself as both faithful and nationalistic, he says "next to of course god america i / love you." However, neither God nor America are capitalized, which undermines the sincerity and solemnity of the proclamation.

Lines 5–8

The lack of punctuation in these lines opens up more than one possible interpretation of the text. The phrase "centuries come and go / and are no more" is straightforward, but "what of it we should worry" is slightly more complicated.

Lines 9–12

The speaker asks what could be more beautiful than soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in war. Indeed, he implies that no other beauty could be worth talking about. However, his delivery undermines his intended message. When he compares the soldiers to lions who rushed "to the roaring slaughter," the phrasing is again ambiguous.

Lines 13–14

The speaker asks if the voice of liberty will be mute. Rhetorically, "the voice of liberty" means the poet's own position and is declaring his right to speak. Grammatically, because there is no punctuation separating it, the phrase can be read as connected to the dead soldiers, who can no longer speak at all.

Mechanics, Syntax, and Stylization

The poem "next to of course god america i" uses punctuation, capitalization, and line breaks in a number of unconventional techniques that enhance its effects. These effects are most readily apparent when the poem is read as text rather than heard, as it is impossible to hear capitalization and spacing.

Form and Rhyme

The poem "next to of course god america i" is a formal sonnet. The base of the traditional structure stands in contrast to Cummings's unconventional use of language. In places, the form supersedes and overwhelms the language. The word beautiful is broken in the middle to adhere to the rhyme scheme, so beaut rhymes with mute.

Speaker and Listener

The first 13 lines of the poem are in quotation marks, and the secondary speaker is only positively identified as someone other than the primary speaker in the last line. The poem gives no context for the delivery of the speech. It could be a political rally, a dinner party, or any other venue.