The Importance in the way in which things are expressed

Sometimes the way in which one expresses something is more important than the actual message expressed. This is seen in the poems “l(a” by E. E. Cummings and “This Is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams. Both authors express some idea or emotion through their poem; however the way in which they do so adds to the significance of the message.
At first glance, Cummings’ poem “l(a” appears to be unintelligible; however after reading through it several times, the poem is actually very deep. A nine line poem with four spaces and no rhyme scheme and no specified speaker first leaves the reader lost, but quickly he or she can make out the scattered words “l( a leaf falls) oneliness” or in other words, a leaf falls in loneliness. The emphasis on breaking entire words up vertically allows the reader to actually picture a leaf breaking off from its tree and swaying to the ground in a large gust of wind, all in its lonesome. The significance is seen more in the manner in which the four words “loneliness, a leaf falls” is written, rather than just the four words written in a simpler or more straight-forward manner. A possible idea as to why Cummings portrayed such an idea of loneliness in the way she did might be because loneliness is something that most people don’t just come out and say or express. Rather, most people keep their feelings of loneliness bottled inside and slowly let them out, which resembles the way in which the poem was expressed- one or two letters of a word read at one time. Such a message from the author would have been much less important if it were simply written horizontally and unbroken; therefore the way in which Cummings strategically placed the letters brings about more truth about loneliness than simply saying “a leaf falls in loneliness.”
Similarly to Cummings, Williams provides a poem with more significance to the reader in the way it is written then in the actual words themselves. This short, three stanza poem, with no real rhyme scheme appears to look like an apology note for someone to wake up to in the morning. The words “Forgive me” (line 9) seem to express some sort of apology in which the speaker would like to receive forgiveness; conversely the reader can tell through the way in which the speaker expresses himself that he or she does not really apologize. An apology to me is something of a sincere nature and expressed in a way that one can tell he or she genuinely feels sorry for his or her actions. The way in which the speaker expresses his “apology” in “This Is Just to Say” at first seems genuine, but after reading deeper into the poem, the reader witnesses the insincerity in a couple of ways. Firstly, the speaker says “Forgive me” (line 9) instead of “I’m sorry” and capitalizes forgive, which almost makes the tone of the word demanding instead of questioning. Usually when one asks for forgiveness they do not demand it. Also, the last three lines of the poem “they were delicious so sweet and so cold” make the reader doubt that the speaker actually meant his “apology” for he really enjoyed his decision in eating it and does not really regret his actions. The speaker’s overall feelings are that he really is not sorry for eating the plums but because it is the right thing to do he is writing a note that says forgive me. The way in which the poem is written reveals more about the speaker than simply the words he or she has to say. This is even seen in the title “This is just to say”- meaning there is no meaning behind what he has to say, he just says is because it is something for him to do after eating the plums.
Although words are often used to express how one feels, the way in which one manipulates, uses or expresses words can actually reveal more than simply the words themselves. This is seen not just in poetry like Cummings’ and Williams’ poems, but it is seen in all areas of language. As a speech- language pathology major student, a lot can be said about the way someone uses language. The study of pragmatics, or the way one uses languages, is seen in the way people speak, how close they stand to you or invade other’s space when talking, eye contact and many other ways. Basically, there is meaning behind everything, not simply just the words Cummings and Williams use, but in the way they use them.