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The Two Faces of Spring: A Stylistic Analysis of E. E. Cummings’ “in Just-” and
“(listen) this a dog barks”

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Running Head: THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 1

The Two Faces of Spring:

A Stylistic Analysis of E. E. Cummings’ “in Just-” and “(listen) this a dog barks”

Rose Kulsum-Binder
American University of Sharjah

ENG 302 Stylistics

Professor Peter Crompton
January 6, 2016
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 2

The Two Faces of Spring:

A Stylistic Analysis of E. E. Cummings’ “in Just-” and “(listen) this a dog barks”
I. Introduction

A refreshing and novel approach to conveying emotions and imagery can be said to be

the domain of a very unique poet, Edward Erstlin Cummings. Better known to the world as E. E.

Cummings, he was a force of change in American poetry in the early twentieth century. As

author Eve Triem notes in her book E.E. Cummings - American Writers 87: University of

Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers No. 87 (1969), by “diverging from traditional

practices” Cummings was essentially a “smasher of the logicalities” of commonly accepted

poetry (p. 5). His poetry used “idiosyncratic typographic and stylistic devices,” which created a

sense of absurdity in his works, yet Cummings meant this deliberately in order to “leaven the

commonplace [and] to startle readers into ‘listening’ instead of merely hearing” his poetry

(Triem, 1969, pp. 5-6). Thus, by examining his poetry with its intentions in mind, it is possible to

conclude that the stylistics of his poems is a key factor in their successful conveyance of mood

and situation to the reader. This paper will endeavor to analyze the stylistics of two of

Cummings’ poems, “in Just-” (1922) and “(listen) this a dog barks” (1963), both of which treat

the topic of spring time, in terms of their elements of graphology, lexis, semantics, pragmatics,

and point of view. Although both of the aforementioned poems have a similarly non-traditional

manner of presentation and their focus is the same topic, they each differ slightly in the mood

that they evoke in readers as a result of their stylistic features.

THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 3

II. Graphology

a. “in Just-”

According to Paul Simpson, in his book Stylistics: A Resource Book for Students (2014),

graphology refers to “the patterns of written language [and] the shape of language on the page”

(p. 5). The graphology of this poem significantly impacts its message by adding an extra

dimension to the reader’s understanding. First of all, the fact that this poem discusses the topic of

spring from a child’s perspective is quite important, as the distribution of the poem’s content on

the page is not neatly organized but rather seemingly haphazardly placed, much like a child’s

way of describing an event with excitement. Please refer to the appendix for the complete poem

texts.

In lines [1] and [2] there are pauses inserted for effect. Line [1] only has two words and

the second, “Just-”, is capitalized then hyphenated at the end, which gives off the sense of

importance to it as it forces the reader to stop and focus on it. Line [2], on the other hand,

possesses an entire clause, but the first word “spring” is set off from the rest by a large space,

in Just- which once again puts it in the spotlight of attention and visually groups it with the

spring two words above it, in order to create an effect of special focus within the poem

itself. It also gives off the impression of the way an excited child would speak, producing single

words with pauses as he tries to catch his breath in his state of excitement. Similarly, lines [6]

and [14] contain words such as “eddieandbill” and “bettyandisbel” that have been jammed

together on the other hand, which also foregrounds them against the rest of the content and

mimics the way that children often speak out phrases in one breath when they are excited.

Another interesting function of the poem’s graphology is that it also mimics aspects in

the real world. For example, lines [5], [13], and [21-24] all pertain to the balloon man’s whistling
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 4

while he is far away from the children in terms of distance, since the poem mentions it explicitly

with the repeated word “far.” This sense of his being distant is conveyed through the addition of

extra spaces between the words in lines [5] and [13] as well as the presentation of lines [21-24]

in a downward cascade format of words with a space insertion in the first line. Finally, action is

also conveyed indirectly in lines [18-20] as the balloon man is described as being “goat-footed”

and that evokes a trotting type of movement on his part. This is alluded to graphologically

through the downwardly cascading words “and”, “the”, and “goat-footed,” which progressively

move further to the right of the page, as if the balloon man himself was trotting along towards

the children, inside the poem.

b. “(listen) this a dog barks”

In terms of its graphology, this poem is similarly interesting as it also mimics excitement,

creates emphasis and represents real world elements. Lines [3-6] enumerate a number of nouns

without punctuating them using commas, thereby giving these lines a sense of rushed excitement

as the words are strung together without any pause. Similarly, lines [14-19] also contain densely

packed words, but now they are all verbs that have been grouped together without any commas,

and also create the effect of a mélange of excited actions that are occurring suddenly and swiftly.

Both of the stanzas containing these word groups graphologically convey the excited feeling that

everything acquires when spring is in the air and approaching fast.

The use of parentheses and selective capitalization emphasizes certain aspects of the

poem. For example, line [1] is simply made up of one word, “(listen)”, however because it is

presented in parentheses, it forces extra attention from the reader as it is stands out against other

words. Similarly in line [25], the single word “(yes)” reaffirms the “miracle” that is spring and so

its power is emphasized through its presentation in parentheses. The entire poem is presented in

lower case lettering except for the last line, which is written with the initial letter of every word
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 5

capitalized, much like title casing. This stylistic device places emphasis on line [31] by

foregrounding it against the other lines with internal deviation from the established pattern of

lower casing. Once again it serves to reaffirm the power of springtime and to demonstrate that it

is an unstoppable force as “nobody [can] stop it” (Cummings, 1991b, line 30). There is one more

instance of capitalization, which occurs in line [19] with the word “Spring.” This is another

important internal deviation which foregrounds and emphasizes the topic of the entire poem.

The representation of real world elements is ingeniously presented in the poem through

the use of punctuation and graphological layout. For example, lines [7-8] demonstrate the real

world action of “tumbling” by actually splitting the word into two halves, one beneath the other

in mimicry of an actual downward fall. The joyous feeling of “wonderful sunlight” emanating all

around is also mimicked through the splitting of the word “wonderful” into two parts spread over

lines [8-9] to show how the rays are all pervading.

Following from the unusual graphological layout is the unique usage of punctuation,

which also mimics action. In line [10], the word “―look―” is surrounded by dashes on either

side, thus giving the impression of a set of eyes actually turning from side to side to look around.

Similarly in line [12], the word “o-p-e-n-i-n-g” is actually written out in a spaced manner,

leading the word itself to appear as if it is literally unfurling just like the “leaves [and] flowers”

mentioned in the poem.

III. Lexis, Semantics, Pragmatics

a. “in Just-”

As Simpson notes, lexis refers to “the words we use,” which is essentially “the

vocabulary of a language,” and semantics is “the meaning of [those] words and sentences”

(2014, p. 5). The way those individual meanings are understood by people is an entirely different
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 6

matter, however, as this relies heavily on circumstance. In this case then, pragmatics also enters

the picture and analyzes “the way [in which] words and sentences are used in everyday

situations,” referring to “the meaning of language in context” so to speak (Simpson, 2014, p. 5).

When this poem is analyzed in terms of its lexis it can be noted that it contains a few neologisms.

In lines [2-3], the word “mud-luscious” is introduced as a novel way of describing the way that

the “world” feels at springtime. Please refer to Table 1 below.

Table 1
Word Meaning Pragmatics
(lexis) (semantics) (meaning in context)

mud “Soft, sticky matter resulting from Dirt, unclean matter, natural
the mixing of earth and water” matter
(“Mud”, 2015).

luscious “Appealing strongly to the Positive connotations of richness

senses; pleasingly rich” and moistness
(“Luscious”, 2015).

From the examination of the two separate words that constitute this novel adjective, it can

be surmised that the intended effect was to imbue this springtime mud with a special quality of

richness as an indication of its uniqueness. The common lexical choice would have been to

describe the world as simply being ‘muddy’; however, that would not have had the same effect

on the reader. Please refer to Table 2 below.

Table 2
Word Meaning Pragmatics
(lexis) (semantics) (meaning in context)

muddy “Covered in or full of mud. Not bright Negative connotation of being

or clear; dirty-looking” (“Muddy”, unclean, murky, soiled, spoiled
2015).
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 7

After examining the semantics and pragmatics of ‘muddy,’ it can be noted that it does not

possess any positive qualities; in fact it is a word that often carries negative connotations as seen

from the above entries. Therefore, the neologism that was used in its stead proved a much better

approximation of the pleasant way that spring mud feels in contrast to plain every day mud.

Another interesting neologism to note is “puddle-wonderful,” which is once again

another novel adjective used to describe the world in line [10]. This type of description continues

to be linked to the general theme of spring as it refers to puddles, which are commonly

associated with rain as it often occurs during this season. Please refer to Table 3 below.

Table 3
Word Meaning Pragmatics
(lexis) (semantics) (meaning in context)
puddle “A small pool of liquid, Negative connotation of dirty
especially of rainwater on the water or a liquid obstacle on the
ground” (“Puddle”, 2015). ground

wonderful “Inspiring delight, pleasure, or Positive connotation of being

admiration; extremely good; lovely and joyful
marvelous” (“Wonderful”,
2015).

Thus by joining two words of opposite connotation, the new adjective that describes the world in

spring carries with it the literal meaning of it being filled with puddles due to rain, but it also

imbues these same puddles with a positive quality, which is usually the sense of renewal that

accompanies the spring season.

There are also a few words used in the poem that hide within themselves a darker

meaning that only surfaces upon closer inspection of their pragmatics. Please refer to Table 4

below.
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 8

Table 4
Word Meaning Pragmatics
(lexis) (semantics) (meaning in context)
little “Small in size, amount, or Insignificant, stooped, short
degree (often used to convey an
appealing diminutiveness or
express an affectionate or
condescending attitude)”
(“Little”, 2015).
lame “(Of a person or animal) unable Negative connotation of being
to walk without difficulty as the disabled in some way
result of an injury or illness
affecting the leg or foot”
(“Lame”, 2015).
queer “Strange; odd” (“Queer”, 2015). Negative connotation of being
unusual and strange

old “Having lived for a long time; An old person compared to the
no longer young” (“Old”, 2015). young children in the poem

Table 5
Word Meaning Pragmatics
(lexis) (semantics) (meaning in context)

Goat A hardy domesticated ruminant An animal that resembles the

mammal that has backward-curving mythological Pan, Satyr and
horns and (in the male) a beard. It is Satan as well.
kept for its milk and meat, and noted
for its lively behavior. (“Goat”,
2015).
A lecherous man (“Goat”, 2015).

Although the poem’s topic is spring and there are many references to what children normally

associate with it, such as “marbles” and “hop-scotch,” there is also the figure of the

“balloonman”, whom children look forward to for lovely colorful balloons. Yet the words that

describe him do not paint an innocent and friendly picture of this spring scene. In the poem, the

balloon man is mentioned thrice and each time his description is somewhat sinister as can be
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 9

seen from the definitions listed above, such as “little”, “lame”, “queer”, “old”, and finally “goat-

footed”. The final adjective is especially noteworthy as it is a neologism of sorts, which gives the

balloon man his overall definition, likening him to a goat or similar animal. Please refer to Table

5. This description, when considered alongside the other adjectives, does not spell a pleasant

image yet rather shows a man who appears as a jolly balloon salesman to the children but is in

fact a much more ominous figure.

In this manner then, this innocent poem of nature in the spring time mingles the dark side

of outdoor fun within it, as children who leave their homes to enjoy the beauty of the new season

are also in danger of falling into the clutches of strange old men.

b. “(listen) this a dog barks”

This poem does not possess any neologisms as the previous poem did. It does, however,

contain many groups of words that help to convey the sensation of spring time. And from the

examination of these words it is also possible to determine that none of them allude to any

sinister aspects of spring, but rather celebrate this concept to its very core. Please refer to Table

6.

Table 6
nouns adverbs verbs
dog crazily barks

houses eagerly tumbling

eyes quickly stir
people irrevocably writhe
smiles opening
faces come
steeples run
sunlight jump
selves shout
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 10

leaves laugh
flowers dance
dreams cry
Spring sing
earth arrives
sky hurry
trees stop
miracle
poems
darling
Policemen
World

As listed above, all of the nouns pertain to people, nature, inanimate objects, and abstract

concepts. There is an intermingling of mankind with nature as spring brings with it excitement to

all things that are touched by it, including the inanimate “steeples.” Humans, animals, and plants

are all equally awaiting the arrival of the season of rebirth. From the adverb group listed it is also

possible to discern the attitude that is prevalent in the air, as it evolves around excitement and

rejuvenation. Lastly the verb group of words is also visibly marked by a number of various

actions that convey the many activities that living things engage in when spring arrives and they

are feeling excited and renewed. Therefore, this poem, which deals with the same topic as the

previous one, presents a mood which is much more encompassing and inclusive of all things, not

just people, and does not contain any negative allusions whatsoever.

IV. Point of view

a. “in Just-”

According to Simpson, point of view refers to the “perspective through which a story is

told” and this is considered “an important stylistic dimension” as it is responsible for creating

“much of the feel, colour or texture of a [text]” (2014, p. 28). Even though the texts being
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 11

analyzed here are not stories in the strictest sense but rather poetry, they still perform the action

of narration, which in both cases is, the approach of springtime. From an examination of the

manner in which this poem is structured in terms of point of view, it can be noted that it

possesses a heterodiegetic viewpoint, as the narrator is a detached observer of the unfolding

scene, rather than a participator. There is no indication given anywhere in the body of the poem

that the narrator is actively participating in Eddie and Bill’s games or Betty and Isbel’s games

either. As a result of this distance, the narrator of the poem is separated by what Simpson calls

“an ironic space,” from the characters in the poem and thus the reader receives an impression of

being a voyeur on a seemingly blissful spring scene that is about to turn disturbing with the

approach of the questionable balloon man (2014, p. 30).

b. “(listen) this a dog barks”

This poem, in contrast, is narrated from a much more intimate perspective. It is possible

to discern that the narrator in this case is also the reflector of fiction. From the examination of the

phrases “,come quickly come / run run / with me now” in lines [14-16] and “you and i may not /

hurry it with / a thousand poems / my darling” in lines [26-29], it becomes evident that this poem

has a homodiegetic viewpoint. Through this first person style of narration, the reader is brought

“psychologically much closer to the central character”, who in this case is the narrator and is

experiencing springtime firsthand (Simpson, 2014, p. 30). Thus, there is a marked difference

here between both poems in terms of the mood that they create and consequently, the emotions

that they elicit in readers. As “in Just-” discusses a distant panorama of a children’s spring that is

tinged with potential darkness, “(listen) this a dog barks” is completely involved in experiencing

spring in all its positive aspects.

THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 12

V. Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be noted that both “in Just-” and “(listen) this a dog barks” are avant-

garde poems to say the least, yet their unusual appearance and conventions can be considered

their best attributes as both of these aspects contribute to the poems’ success in translating two

different perspectives of spring into the written word. Through a thorough analysis of such

stylistic aspects as graphology, lexis, semantics, pragmatics, and point of view, crucial features

of both poems have been exposed in order to display the linguistic secrets behind their narrative

and literary effects on readers. These effects can vary greatly depending on the linguistic tools

employed and can effectively produce completely opposite images of the very same concept

such as has been demonstrated here with two approaches to an oncoming new season of the year.
THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 13

References
Cummings, E. E. (1991a). in Just- . In G. J. Firmage (Ed.), E. E. Cummings complete poems

1904-1962 (p. 27). New York: Liveright. Retrieved from

http://library.globalchalet.net/Authors/Poetry

Cummings, E. E. (1991b). (listen) this a dog barks. In G. J. Firmage (Ed.), E. E. Cummings

complete poems 1904-1962 (p. 835). New York: Liveright. Retrieved from

http://library.globalchalet.net/Authors/Poetry

Goat. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Lame. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Little. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Luscious. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Mud. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Muddy. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Old. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Puddle. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Queer. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

Simpson, P. (2014). Stylistics: A resource book for students. (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

Triem, E. (1969). E.E. Cummings - American writers 87: University of Minnesota pamphlets on

American writers no. 87. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved from

http://www.ebrary.com

Wonderful. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com

THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 14

Appendix

In Just- (1923) (listen) this a dog barks (1962)

E. E. Cummings E. E. Cummings

[1] in Just- [1] (listen)

[2] spring when the world is mud-
[3] luscious the little [2] this a dog barks and
[4] lame baloonman [3] how crazily houses
[4] eyes people smiles
[5] whistles far and wee [5] faces streets
[6] and eddieandbill come [6] steeples are eagerly
[7] running from marbles and
[8] piracies and it’s [7] tumbl
[9] spring
[8] ing through wonder
[10] when the world is puddle-wonderful [9] ful sunlight
[10] ―look―
[11] the queer [11] selves, stir:writhe
[12] old baloonman whistles [12]o-p-e-n-i-n-g
[13] far and wee
[14] and bettyandisbel come dancing [13] are(leaves;flowers)dreams

[15] from hop-scotch and jump-rope and [14] ,come quickly come
[15] run run
[16] it’s [16] with me now
[17] spring [17] jump shout(laugh
[18] and [18] dance cry
[19] the
[19] sing)for it’s Spring
[20] goat-footed
[20] ―irrevocably;
[21] balloonMan whistles [21] and in
[22] far [22] earth sky trees
[23] and [23] :every
[24] wee [24] where a miracle arrives

[25] (yes)

[26] you and i may not

[27] hurry it with
[28] a thousand poems
[29] my darling
[30] but nobody will stop it

[31] With All The Policemen In The World

 THE TWO FACES OF SPRING 15

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