E.E. Cummings' "anyone lived in a pretty how town"
* Theme: The poem celebrates the simple, universal experiences of life and love, despite the inevitability of death.
* Style: Cummings uses unconventional grammar and punctuation to create a childlike, whimsical tone.
* Main points:
* "Anyone" and "Noone" represent idealized versions of the "average" person and their journey through life.
* Love is expressed through the simple act of being "together" and sharing experiences, even if those experiences are ordinary.
* The poem emphasizes that even though everyone dies, their love and memories live on.
Leslie Marmon Silko's "Man Rainclouds"
* Theme: The poem explores the power of storytelling, memory, and the connection between humans and the natural world.
* Style: Silko's language is rich with imagery and symbolism, blending Native American storytelling traditions with contemporary themes.
* Main points:
* The poem's speaker is a Native American man who sees the rainclouds as "man rainclouds" - a reflection of human experiences and stories.
* The rain is a symbol of life, renewal, and the cycle of nature.
* The speaker's memory is filled with stories of ancestors, and the poem suggests a connection between the past, present, and future.
Overall: Both poems offer unique and powerful perspectives on life, love, and the human experience, but through very different lenses. Cummings' poem is more whimsical and focused on individual relationships, while Silko's poem is more philosophical and connects individual experiences to a broader cultural and historical context.