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maggie and milly and molly and may
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maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea
ee cummings
Read poems about / on: beach, star, remember, home, sea, alone, world, lost
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Gary Witt (9/19/2006 6:09:00 PM)
Hmm. I'm sorry Jenni experienced some difficulty here. I've always loved this poem, and while I certainly don't pretend to have the final word on it, I would like to offer the following thoughts for your consideration.
1. I've often wondered about the ages of maggie and milly and molly and may. I don't believe they are children at the time the poem is set.
2. I really like the poem's treatment of the theme of self-discovery. It's always ourselves we find in the sea. (BTW, that's in the sea, not at the beach.) And perhaps we discover the most about ourselves when we intend to do something else, like play. None of the four sets out on a journey of self-discovery. They just want to play. But they seem to end up encountering themselves, or a previously unfamiliar aspect of themselves. With that in mind, I cannot help feeling a great deal of sympathy for molly, who finds a horrible thing which raced sideways while blowing bubbles. I know several people who are that way, but don't realize it. (Flounders? Crabs?) Poor molly. On the other hand, maggie seems the escapist or delusional. I identify with her. Milly seems a gentle soul, befriending a stranded star fish. But of the four, I do love may, who comes home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone. She seems to have found wisdom, or at least a piece of it. Maybe 'wonder' is a better word for what she finds.
3. The rhyming pattern has always driven me nuts. Troubles and, Bubbles and. But the two are so far apart you don't notice it until the second reading. Most people want to read this poem in a sing-song, nursery rhyme cadence straight through. But I think the poem should be read quickly and almost breathlessly through 'bubbles and' but then slowly, gently, and deliberately beyond that point. Sort of like an excited 8-year-old tattletale who manages to catch his/her breath just in time.
4. Of course, maggie's discovery harkens back to Ulysses and the Sirens. Good ol' Homer. Milly's star appears to be a star fish, but could it be less aquatic and more celestial? Maybe it involves aspiration, hope, or even ambition? Why is it stranded? Freud would probably like to have a chat with molly. (Let's just leave it at that.) And as for may, I've always viewed her discovery as having a little zen influence. Like a koan: what is contained in a smooth, round stone? What is the sound of one hand clapping?
5. Can anyone read the line 'as small as a world and as large as alone' without dropping his/her jaw? Damn, that's nice.
6. Compare/contrast with 'the boys i mean.' Worlds collide.
Jenni, I hope this is helpful. It's probably six months too late. |
Jenni Byrne (2/9/2006 5:46:00 AM)
you suck! ! ! ! !
i cant find any comments on the themes, structure or the metephors of the poem so help me...
tis a wonderful poem though |
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