Who are you, little i?
E. E. Cummings
Summary
The speaker stands next to the window and addresses himself in the form of his
own inner child of 5 or 6 years, calling ‘little i’ as the childlike feelings
still lives within him. The feelings that cause him to recall how he used to
enjoy the golden sunset in November when he was a child. Now his adulthood
worries have suppressed all his joys and pleasures. He considers the day
turning into the night as the gradual passage of time. He welcomes this as a
beautiful way.
Understanding the text:
Answer the following
questions:
A: Who can be the speaker of
this poem?
Ans: Mostly poets use a
literary element called 'Speaker'. Speaker is the person voicing the words.
Here the speaker is an adult person who recalls his childhood. Perhaps the
speaker is the poet himself.
B: What is "little i" doing?
Ans: The "little
i" is looking out a window at the end of the day. He is enjoying the
beautiful scene of sunset.
C: What can be the relationship between the "little i" and the
speaker of the poem?
Ans: The "little
i" is the childhood of the speaker himself, and the speaker is the child
grown-up. So, we can say that the "little i" is the child version of
the speaker.
D: What is the speaker
remembering from his childhood days in the poem?
Ans: The speaker is remembering how he used to enjoy natural scenes like
sunset. He used to get pleasure from such sights.
E: What attitude does the speaker seem to have toward the child in the poem?
Ans: The speaker seems to have a positive, nostalgic attitude towards
the child. He feels a youthful presence in himself still now, who inspires him
now to look out and enjoy the nature outside.
Reference to the context
a. Why do you think Cummings has placed a semicolon between the words window
and at?
Ans: The semicolon between the words 'window' and 'at' expresses a break
between the two main parts of the poem. In the first part, the poet asks his
question. In the second part, he goes on to describe the sense of wonder he has
experienced.
b. If the speaker is the child grown up, why does he ask, “who are you”?
Ans: The speaker addresses
his own inner child. The childlike wonder still lives within him. The feelings
that cause him to remember how he used to enjoy the golden sunset in November
when he was a child.
c. In this poem, an adult reflects on the childhood experience. Based on
that, what might be the theme of the lines: “(and feeling: that if day / has to
become night / this is a beautiful way)”?
Ans: The theme of the line is death. The day turning into the night as the
gradual change of life into death. The speaker is ready to welcome death rather
than staying suffering alive. This indicates how death can be a solution to a
painful life.
d. What is the rhyme scheme
used in the poem?
Ans: The rhyme of scheme
of the poem is ABAB. For example, 'I' in the first line rhymes with ‘high’ in
the third line, and ‘old’ in the second line rhymes with ‘gold’ in the fourth
line.
e. Explain the pun in “little i” that is related to what he is doing.
Ans: A pun is the clever
use of a word that has more than one meaning or a word that have different
meanings but sounds the same. The pun in 'little i' indicates both a specific
aspect of the poet's personality, the childlike feeling of wonder, and seeing
the world through the 'eye' of a child.
f. How does Cummings’s use of lowercase letters affect your understanding of
the poem? Explain.
Cumming uses lowercase letters to emphasize his inferior feelings in regard
to his experience. He used to enjoy nature in his childhood full of happiness.
Now his adulthood worries have suppressed his joys and pleasures.
Reference beyond the text
A: How does nature inspire the
speaker in "who are you, little i"? Explain.
Ans: It inspires him by
going back to his youthhood and enjoying such a beautiful natural scene. He had
almost forgotten it in the long pressure of adulthood.
B: Recall a childhood moment when you felt closely connected with nature.
Describe the time and place as well as the feelings and thoughts about it.
Ans: I was born and raised
in the busy city of Kathmandu. My father works there. I grew up in the midst of
the city, with little connection to nature. As I was about to take my school
graduation exams, my father announced that we would go to our native village in
the long vacation. My happiness knew no bound. It was like a dream coming true.
Finally I was in my native village. It was so different. Opposite to the hustle
and bustle of the busy city, it was so calm and tranquil. It was first time I
saw a milking cow. Otherwise, I used to think that all produce come from super
markets or dairies. The next morning my grand pa took me to our paddy field. I
was surprised to see the vast stretch of greenery. It was so different from the
concrete jungle of the place where I live. The chirping of birds in mango
groves was so sweet. It was not like a caged bird. I never knew before that
winds can play so delightfully.
There I learnt how to connect with nature. I enjoyed sun rises and sunsets,
which were always covered by the big buildings of my city. We stayed there for
about a month. But I shall never forget my first introduction with nature.
C: Interpret the poem in any way you like.
Ans: This little poem is
in the form of a dramatic monologue where he addresses his own childhood. It
opens with in a nostalgic mood. Watching sunset through his window one evening,
the speaker suddenly goes in flashback when in his childhood he used to enjoy
such natural scenes.
He asks his "little i"
who he is. No doubt, the 'little i' is his childhood version (his childhood).
It shows that although the worries of his childhood have kept suppressed his
childhood pleasures, it is still there in some corner of his heart. That is the
happiest thing.
As the poem proceeds, the mood changes from nostalgic to sad pensive one, when he talks about the passing days, indicating 'death'. Here we find an unwelcome transition (change) from pleasing childhood to approaching death. But here again, he finds a beautiful way of approaching a dreaded finale (that is, fear of death).