Tim:

I've been reading C's poetry and bio's for over 30 years. In fact, as a
result of my research and inquiries to Jay Parini at Middlebury, a Frost
scholar and biographer, I've been asked to write the Cummings article for
the Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature, which Parini is editing.
(wheeee!!!)

Frost I knew as all American students do -- the anthologized poems. I loved
the imagery, but didn't "get" how deep they were then. But one little poem
hit me a different way:

The Secret Sits

We dance 'round a ring and suppose.
The secret sits in the middle and knows.

Frost

****

seeker of truth

follow no path
all paths lead where

truth is here

Cummings

****

At first I thought of this type of poem as having a Zen influence, but on
further investigation I learned that both C and F were tremendously
influenced by Emerson, whose essay "Circles" pretty much pegs the notion of
coming back: "I keep and pass and turn again." (Brahma).

Anyway, the nature poetry of C and F are the most alike in that regard.
Where Pound comes in: he was among some other influential poets met in
England and was instrumental in getting Frost's first two books
well-reviewed in England, essentially "making" Frost the first and perhaps
only best-selling American poet of the 20th century. As a young poet at
Harvard, Cummings' notebooks show a keen interest in being part of the
imagist movement.

I guess what I'm asking for are any thoughts at all about Pound's influence
and/or dealings with either Frost or Cummings. And with regard to Mr.
Savage's comment about Frost's poor treatment of Pound -- if you could
elaborate further on that/those incident/s, it would give me more insight --
was Frost abandoning a poet who helped  him in order to "lay low" from
controversy? This will further my theory that Frost "invented" himself as a
Yankee farmer poet and didn't want to rock any boat by being involved
(publicly) in the politics of the day. Cummings was much more "in your
face."

Thanks!

Kate



----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Romano" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 6:15 AM
Subject: Re: Imagism and Joyce


> Kate,
> What do you think their work has in common? I see no similarity, though I
> must admit that I don't know cummings's work inside and out.
> Tim Romano
>
> Kate Cone wrote:
>
> >I am writing my masters thesis on how E.E. Cummings and Robert Frost's
> >poetry are related.
>