The Man Who Heard the Song of Truth - Love as e.e. cummings’ Concept of Reality

Unlike many contemporary artists, edward estlin cummings made no attemptto formulate a theoretical basis for the concept of reality which is reflected inhis work. His statements about what he considered real, and how heperceived truth were often rather confusing. Nevertheless, critics describe himas a serious poet with a philosophical framework behind his oeuvre. Yet,there are many different views on how it is exactly organized. This frameworkis the object of analysis in the study at hand. Nina von Dahlern discusses itsstructure, its inconsistencies, and also how these inconsistencies originate. Atthe same time an answer to the question why cummings’ poems can stillmove today’s readers in the way they do is formulated. The presentmonograph focuses on his love poetry, because love is the essential part ofcummings’ concept of reality. The dynamic development of reality the poetenvisages led to the inclusion of sociological theories that understand thesociohistorical reality as a process in this study. The analysis of his concept ofreality and its sociohistorical background results in a comprehensive thesisabout his work as well as about its impact on the reader.