A Pretty How Town

The Writing of a Modernist Audre Lorde once said, “Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.”(Lorde) During the 20th century many authors used a new modernistic style of writing. E.E. Cummings, a modernist writer, saw poetry in this way; his poem “anyone lives in a pretty how town” shows how he believes poetry is the skeleton of our lives and that it brings about new perspective into people's lives. Cummings was born in 1894 and died in 1962, and throughout his writing career he created more than 2,900 poems. In the poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town” themes such as a move away from reality, alienation and disconnectedness, and realistic details are used to show his attitude and the attitude of the American people during this time.
One modernistic theme that can be found in E.E Cummings poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town” is a move away from realism. In multiple areas of the poem readers can see a move away from realism in the form of a dream or an unrealistic element in the poem.’A change from realism can be identified when the author writes something that is out of the ordinary; something that is not part of reality. The first time a move from
One theme that can be found in this poem is a move away from realism. He uses unrealistic situations and dreams to prove this theme. Second, Cummings uses alienation in his poem. The way “anyone” and “noone” are separated from their community and not cared about proves an alienated theme in the poem. Lastly the use of realistic details shows a modernistic theme. Cumming’s poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town” is significant because it talks to the community. It sends a message about the outcasts in society and puts a perspective on how people treat