“Nouns to nouns” – EE Cummings

How to read EE Cummings poems: don’t. Especially not this one. Not even reading this poem, simply just looking at its structure, eliminated any sort of hope I had for understanding it. For you guys reading this now, it is easier to visualize the poem as somewhat fluid. For my first venture into the abyss of confusion that is this poem, I was taken to a JSTOR resource where it was split into two pages. Yes. One whole clicking of the arrow away. Page one consisted of lines “nouns to nouns” to “nuns two nuns”. Then, on the second, there is the continuous phrase “w an d ering in sin g ular untheknowndulous s pring”. This created obvious confusion; the clear separation of the two pages creates just that, the allusion to a separation between focal points. 

For the first couple of reads, it seemed as if I was stuck in the tunnel vision of only focusing on the confusing structure and not the meaning. This said structure is Cummings’s use of near-rhymes in words like “nouns”, “nons”, and “nuns” where they sound similar but do not rhyme. The other sets of these near-rhymes: “wan” and “and”, and “to”, “too”, and “two”. Knowing this and understanding it got me nowhere. I was frustrated, to say the least. The placement of each of these words and the repetition of the near rhymes throughout these first seven lines made it seem as if these words were yet another Cummings’-classic, which is the use of his own made-up words. 

But, it is not until I slowed down and looked at the words separate from their phrases that I was able to begin to understand the meaning. 

Nouns. A person place or thing. To say, “nouns to nouns” is to describe something using anything. Nouns to nouns is an expansive sentence knowing that there are millions of examples of nouns. Starting with this statement, it is hard to pinpoint what exactly the subject is. No worries, we will get there. 

Wan. Wan can be defined as “pale and giving the impression of illness or exhaustion” when talking about appearance. Wan twice suggests that the subject is very pale. Still, what are we talking about? 

Nons? The Latin prefix non can be defined as “expressing negation or absence”. To say “too nons too” is another way of describing this very pale thing. I take this phrase as something along the lines of “oh, also this pale thing is of unimportance. It is often lifeless, sucking the existence out of itself and its being, therefore becoming not existent”. So far, the subject is being painted in a very negative light. The use of “wan” and “non” depicts Cummings as one who does not appreciate whatever is being described.

“And and” is simply to transition into what the subject is. “And” was used twice to continue the visual and audible appeal of this peculiar structure. 

Nuns! Finally. Two nuns! Two nuns that are pale and lifeless.

The split between the first “page” and the second is synonymous with the split in thought processes I had to consider while reading this poem. Separation and definition were useful tools, but these already used tactics must be applied differently given the circumstances. The second page is one of a riddle. At first glance, the big made-up word in the middle, “untheknowndulous”, establishes the need for deciphering the peculiar arrangement of letters. Grouping the letters and tweaking the spacing, you come up with the phrase “wandering in singular untheknowndulous spring”. 

Perfect. I have the whole poem figured out! Wrong. As I began to re-read this poem, there are still questions unanswered. Who is wandering and what is a “singular untheknowndulous spring”? This newfound confusion trumped all of the other confusion I had about the first page. Cummings is taunting me with the understanding of the poem on a fishing line, pulling away the bait, or the meaning, at the very last second.

This confusion has led me to go back to the poem and re-read it differently, as a whole, but, with more focus on the “separation” created by the original split. This means considering the uncut, scattered words and syllables to represent more than what they are saying. Looking at lines 7 & 8, the structure of the two nuns being separated by “two” and the w & d being separated by “and” along with the fact that the first “nun” lines up with “w” and the second “nun” lines up with “d”, it becomes clear that nun #1 is “w” and nun #2 is d. W and D are ering. Ering in sin. Unironically enough, ering is eerily similar to the erring, which can be defined as “with mistakes or sins”. So w and d are with sins twice, or a lot of sins. This goes back to the characterization of these nuns found on the first page, but instead, their emotional baggage is now the topic of discussion. These supposed nuns are not nuns but these pale, unexistent, sinful frauds. 

Looking at this next line and a half stumps me. It was clear before that w and d were the two nuns, but who is this g? Ular, which is a “word-forming element that means ‘small, little’” is used next to this seemingly packed word, “untheknowndulous”. Which can be broken down into un, the, known, and dulous. A dulous is a greek word for slave. Someone who is  untheknowndulous is a slave who is not in the known, or aware of their being. 

All of these demeaning characterizing statements about the nuns are in very stark contrast to where they are wandering: spring. This is in part due to the separation of the s and the pring, which makes the pring vocally pop. Also, its separation on its line draws attention to the state of being in spring which therefore expresses Cumming’s appreciation for spring and all its greatness.

In all, this seemingly harmful poem about two nuns exploring what spring has to offer has a much deeper meaning than first glance may allow. The use of expressive diction in the characterization of these two nuns paints this poem as more of a religious commentary than a mere story. With minimal uncertainties left after this mentally tough battle of deciphering another Cummings poem, I am left feeling like a detective who has just cracked a great case. As time goes on and more Cummings poems are read, his techniques and quirks become more interesting to see displayed across his work. With this newfound inspiration, I feel ready to take on another great case.