Do We Need Grammar?

Consider the following extract from a poem by e. e. cummings.

anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did.

Women and men (both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

Most students, I have come across, would look at me in bewilderment, almost as though I had somehow conspired with e. e. cummings to create a poem that no living person, except the poet himself, would be able to understand!

However, once you point out a few grammatical concepts, they begin to `see the light'! After all, grammar is a system and all systems have logical components.

I am going to leave you here for the moment to consider how a poet, who seemingly threw the concept of grammar to the winds, needs you and me to have a good grasp of grammar to understand his poem!

​​​​​​​Look out for my next related post on Jan 8th for my answer to the above. Meanwhile, Happy Reading and Happy Thinking!