A Relationship

The poems “l(a” by E.E. Cummings and “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams both present the reader with unconventional styles and thoughts that make the poem difficult to understand at face-value. However upon further analysis, the poems appear to be discussing different types of relationships. Both the form of these poems and the words that are stressed contribute to the overall meaning and the type of relationship being discussed.

“l(a” by E.E. Cummings is a very strange poem just because of the form in which the poem is written. Words are broken up into a couple letters and parentheses are put in between a phrase. In complete words, the poem says, “A leaf falls” and “loneliness.” “Loneliness” is broken up with “a leaf falls” written in between. When I thought about this poem, I pictured a big tree with many leaves. When a leaf falls, it becomes separated from the rest, just like the word “loneliness” in the poem. This image can also go on to symbolize the relationship between a mother and her children. A mother tree bears a leaf child that will eventually one day grow old and become independent from the mother. This poem is a good example of a mother-child relationship.

“This Is Just to Say” by E.E. Cummings is basically an apology between what seems to be two people in a friendly relationship. The speaker in the poem asks to be forgiven for eating the other person’s plums that they “were probably saving.” To add to the dilemma, the speaker goes on to say that the plums eaten “were delicious.” The fact the speaker ate the plums knowing that the other person was saving them and then edges it in by saying how good they were just shows the type of relationship. The two would have to either be very friendly or maybe even be a couple. It is an apology for the sake of saying it as the title suggests, “This Is Just to Say.” The speaker just asks for forgiveness just so that the two can go on with their relationship.