Analysis of Stylistic

Deviations in
EE. Cummings’
« A leaf falls with
loneliness »
Elaborated by Nawel Triki

2023-2024

The Poem
 The Outline
I -Introduction :
1- Hook : The dimensions of Artistic Expression
2-Background Information : Poetry as a form of
stylistic deviation
3-Thesis statement : Deviation in EE Cummings’ »A
Leaf Falls in Loneliness »
4-Blueprint
II-The analysis of stylistic deviation :
1-Graphological Deviation
2-Syntactic Deviation
3-Semantic Deviation
III- Conclusion

I- Introduction
Artistic expression, in essence, is the manifestation of aesthetic,
cultural, and linguistic elements that merge to reveal a finely crafted
masterpiece. In this context, poetic language may constitute an
essential fragment of the aesthetic and linguistic dimensions with its
unorthodox style and divergent nature from the norm. It is, in this
sense, that beyond the rigid barriers of formal language, the poet dares
to deconstruct the very essence of the linguistic sign and invent a
realm where syntactic distortions, plurality of meanings, and
scrambled graphemes are celebrated and acknowledged. In this
respect, stylistic deviation in poetry is evident through EE
Cummings's collection of visually and aesthetically pleasing poems
that pertain to various themes. In particular, the poem under scrutiny
entitled l(a or « A Leaf Falls with Loneliness «is the emblem of
deviational poetry through its graphic substance, syntactic structures,
and semantic meaning.

II-The Analysis Of Stylistic Deviation :

A-The Graphological Level :

At first glance, the poem displays an immaculate use of graphemes

that pertain to a vertical representation of the descent of a leaf. Thus,
such a representation shifts language's role from its static formality
towards a more fluid and dynamic style. The dynamic nature of letters
is apparent in their vertical arrangement and their descendant
movement from a single letter "l" to the morpheme "iness". In this
context, E.E. Cummings brought his exquisite painting to life by
mimicking the action of falling through the vertical layout of the
poem. . This visual movement can be seen in the alternation of the
alphabets “l (a” and “le”, ‘af’, and “fa” and the two parenthetical
signs. In this respect, the poet has rendered this masterpiece a motion-
bound scenery where the falling autumn leaves wirl and wind in the
air before hitting the ground . The descendant letters, in this case,
epitomize a transition for the leaves from life to death and a
movement from youth to decay. The use of the two parenthetical signs
may also contribute to such a meaning. In other terms, the first letter
« a » of this vertical poem is put between an open parenthesis to
indicate the beginning of the fall, whereas the closing parenthesis
announces the fall and decay of the leaf. Breaking punctuation rules is
asking for a break with conventionalities ,questioning, transforming,
and defamiliarising the ‘word’ in order to transform the ‘world’.The
dispersal of words throughout this poem also reveals the chaotic
nature of life and its unpredictability. In other terms, the fall of the leaf
represents an unforeseen event that foreshadows the end of its life.It is
also worth mentioning that the writing of the letter « l » assimilates to
the writing of the numeral « one « creating, in turn, a paradoxical
relationship between the themes of loneliness and oneness. It is in this
sense that EE Cummings seeks to find a balance between the notion of
individuality and togetherness . Hence, the poem’s main premise in its
graphology is to construct a visually telling story of a wandering leaf
falling amid the chaotic winds of life through its use of various
deviational graphological elements.

B-The Syntactic Level :

Syntactically, EE Cummings’ poem demonstrates through the

implementation of disjointed words and letters a sense of syntactic
dissonance that not only breaks the conventionality of the poetic verse
but also alters its meaning. At the structural level, the vertical
architecture may indicate the role of words in shaping new worlds of
poetic traditions. In this sense, unlike traditional poetry, this poem
seeks to construct through isolated and disjointed letters a realm where
poetic disunity is a sign of innovation and singularity. Despite their
lack of organization and order, these dislocated words play an
instrumental role in conceptualizing the descent of the leaf and in
breaking syntactic norms. To further put it into perspective, the
decomposition of words into letters and morphemes is a systematic
violation of the principle of compositionality. Thus, the fragmentation
of words and letters, such as "le," "af," "fa," and "l," "l," contributes to
the experimental nature of the poem and epitomizes the gradual fall of
the leaf as a process of metamorphosis from youth to decay.
The initial letter “l is attached to (a” signifying the French female
determiner « la »and in succession the French masculine « le ». Such a
binary opposition conveys life’s dual aspect and its alteration between
its feminine and masculine poles. The alteration of words is further
emphasized in the following alternating of “af” and “fa”, and the twin
“ll”. These altering sounds, in turn, create a sense of symmetry, while
the difference is conveyed by the numerical “1” and the alphabetical
“one” (Asher 2012). In this case, such similarities and discrepancies
would result in “iness” and “one” -ness, further emphasizing the
paradoxical nature of life. It is also worth noting that the position of
the letter l or the numeral 1 is symmetrical in the sense that these
identical letters mirror each other indicating a zigzag movement of the
leaf from top to bottom. This mirror effect may also refer to the
paradox of oneness and loneliness as advocated by the poem. 1(a is
syntactically deviational par excellence when examining its violation
of the compositionality principle, and even the flouting of certain
poetic and linguistic traditions of British modern poetry.
C-The Semantic Level :
Last but not least , the investigation of semantic meaning in the poetic
realm imposes several linguistic impediments in the sense that poetry's
deviational nature depends on figurative rather than literal language.
Poetic meaning is also largely deciphered through its symbolic
language rather than by relying on explicit or manifest elements. Put
into perspective, this deviational poetic text may be considered an
arbitrary scramble of letters with no meaning or a symbolic
representation that underlies within its jumbled letters a plurality of
meanings and interpretations. For instance, the vertical descendant
movement not only resembles the fall of the leaf but also the fall of
man from heaven to earth. Like the leaf, man has downgraded in
status and become a mere leaf, too frail and weak to combat life’s
storms. In this sense, this poem is semantically deviant, as it is open to
interpretation. It is also worth noting that while the words loneliness »
and oneness » are phonologically similar, they are semantically
contrastive and equivalent simultaneously. On the one hand, the
semantic contrast between these words creates a paradoxical
relationship between the themes of unity and individuality. However,
the similarity lies in the inclusion of the word one » in both words,
underlying the meanings of exclusion, loneliness, and individuality.
These aspects, which are part and parcel of modern life, indeed
emphasize the power of diction in conveying implicit meanings.
Additionally,» one » may convey lexical ambiguity as it holds two
different interpretations. For instance, while it mostly pertains to the
numerical digit 1, the word one » is a polysemic word that may refer
to the theme of individuality but can also transcend its literal meaning
to mean wholeness ».Thus, one is paradoxical in meaning. The use of
parenthesis is also a prominent deviant feature that further emphasizes
the themes of inclusion and loneliness. The sentence between the
parenthesis (a leaf falls) indicates the main clause that holds meaning
by itself. Thus, the parentheses symbolize the process of falling from
start to finish. Hence, semantics in this poem play a significant role in
the interpretation of the underlying meanings that relate to ambiguity
and non-literal diction.

III- Conclusion :
In brief, 1(a) or "A leaf falls with loneliness" is stylistically deviant
par excellence in three respects: graphological, syntactic, and
semantic. Through its implementation of fragmented and shredded
language, this poem skillfully displays a maze of words that are not
only graphically broken but syntactically and semantically ambiguous.
Hence, despite its concise nature, this poetic masterpiece has
embodied deviational and paradoxical themes that echo different
aspects of modern life.