e.e. cummings
American · 20th century
American poet known for rejecting conventional capitalisation, punctuation, and poetic form. Styled his own name in lowercase.
Connection to Taylor Swift
Mentioned in the episode as a humorous analogy for the lowercase title "loml", Angela & Uncle Jerry joke he is the only one "allowed" to write without caps.
Notable Works
- Collected Poems, 'i carry your heart with me'
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
e.e. cummings — unconventional capitalisation
Angela & Uncle Jerry note that both folklore and evermore use all-lowercase styling for album titles, song titles, etc. Angela describes this as 'very E.E. Cummings-esque,' connecting Taylor's stylistic choice to cummings' famous use of unconventional capitalisation.
e.e. cummings — unconventional capitalisation
Uncle Jerry tells an anecdote about an English department chair who wrote that faculty should use standard edited American English in emails 'unless your name is E.E. Cummings,' connecting cummings' unconventional style (no caps, no punctuation) to the song title 'loml' being written in all lowercase text-speak. The reference is used as context for Taylor's lowercase title convention rather than as a direct allusion in the lyrics.
In Just – Spring
Uncle Jerry cites e.e. cummings' 'In Just – Spring' as an example of ambiguity in poetry, discussing how the word 'just' at the end of the first line carries multiple meanings (just as in correct, just as in barely). He draws a parallel to the ambiguity in All Too Well, specifically the moment where Jake Gyllenhaal's cheeks are turning red, is he embarrassed about being open, or embarrassed about the baby photos? Uncle Jerry argues this kind of ambiguity is one of the best qualities of modern poetry.