The Fight Of Death

Aliza
Reynaga

Literary
Analysis

Everyone
leaves a legacy, especially parents to their children. Most wonder
what our children would say about us after our death, whether we were
righteous in their eyes or simply average. In E.E Cummings’s My
father moved through dooms of love
the narrator, who just happens to be his son, shows us through his
father’s life in all aspects. Throughout the poem the speaker
spends his time reflecting on the legacy of generosity, light and
love as displayed by his father. In his poem My
father moved through dooms of love
E.E Cummings illustrates an elegy referenced towards his father and
the life he lived. Cummings narrates this elegy in such a way, that
one felt as if they were personal with his genuine father also.
Through, selection of detail, and use of seasons, My
father moved through dooms of love
explores the loving and tranquil legacy of Cumming’s father,
portrayed through his daily actions and beliefs, which encompasses
his positive relationship towards the world through the remberence of
his son.

In
the told legacy, setting is used to illustrate the passage of time
and experiences in the life of Cumming’s father. A begining format
used is through the implementation of seasons in the elegy. Cummings
uses seasons to describe the progression of time in his father’s
life, and the emotion that goes along with each season in passing
time in the elegy which in turn explores Cumming’s father legacy of
generosity, love, and overall positivity as correlated with each
specific season. In Chapter 20 of How
to read literature like a professor
Foster dictates, “Elsewhere he speaks of seasons as having each
their appropriate emotions” (Foster, T. (2014). How
to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised.
[Place of publication not identified]: HarperCollins) which coincides
with the demonstration of seasons, Cummings aligns his father with
the emotions derived from that specific time in place. The elegy’s
first mention of a season is April which is representative of a
specific time and emotion of youth, renewal, and begining in the
Father’s life, as April signifies the commencement of Spring. To
exemplify, “his april touch drove sleeping selves to swarm their
fates” (Cummings, E. (1959). 100
selected poems My father moved through dooms of love.
New York: Grove Press. (Cummings, 1959)). The indicated focuses on
the month of April and allows for the illustration of the season of
Spring in a sense of beginning, and inspirational change the Father
employs onto others by allowing for a portrayal of the people as bees
in Spring, who begin their work from his influence or “touch”.
Cummings continues on with “keen as midsummer’s keen beyond”
followed by “Septembering arms of year extend”. By begining with
Spring, and fowarding to Midsummer, and September reinforces the use
of seasons in order to portray passing time and life experiences as
shown with, “Spring has to do with youth, summer with adulthood,
autumn with decline and middle age.” Foster, T. (2014). How
to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised.
[Place of publication not identified]: HarperCollins. Furthermore,
this is emaphzied by Cummings in the poem in order to portray the
legacy of his father, as one of creativity and inspiration to not
only him but to others as well through the use of seasons in setting
.

All
throughout the elegy, selection of detail is used to portray the high
values and sentiments Cumming’s father held firm in his life on a
daily basis as remembered in his legacy by Cummings, his son. One
example of this is positivity, Cummings uses selection of detail to
elaborate and emphasize on the repeated and standard emotion of his
father, in order to portray this happiness his father exuded
constantly as remembered as the legacy of Cumming’s father. This
can be seen with “singing each morning out of each night”
(Cummings, E. (1959). 100
selected poems My father moved through dooms of love.
New York: Grove Press. (Cummings, 1959)) which showcases Cumming’s
father as one who can see the positive, and light in the dark on a
daily basis, followed by the use and repetition of his father
“singing” throughout the passage of time in the elegy in order to
reinforce the positivity and light that of which was Cumming’s
father as told in his legacy by his son. Additionally, “joy was his
song and joy so pure” (Cummings, E. (1959). 100
selected poems My father moved through dooms of love.
New York: Grove Press. (Cummings, 1959)) showcases the continuous and
“pure” joy his father held as Cumming’s refrences it to a song
which ties back to the continuous “singing” and usuage of that
specific emotion of Cumming’s father. This could be tied up as
Cummings regarding his father in high reckon, and statue. By
showcasing his father as one who emits happiness and light through
selection of detail, allows for the illustration of Cumming’s
father and legacy as a “Christlike figure”. In Chapter 14 of How
to read literature like a professor
Foster dictates, “Christ figures can suggest many things, not all
of which are remotely Christlike” and “A Christ figure doesn’t
need to resemble Christ in every way; otherwise he wouldn’t be a
Christ figure.” (Foster, T. (2014). How
to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised.
[Place of publication not identified]: HarperCollins) This allows for
Cumming’s potrayal of his father as a “Christ figure” through
the use of positive and lighthearted selection of detail without the
need of perfection in every aspect of his life. Selection of detail
given in the elegy, conveys the positive emotions and high spirit of
Cumming’s father in his life and legacy as remembered by his son.

E.E
Cummings showcases an elegy portraying his father and the type of
life he lived. Cummings writes this elegy in such an intimate and
personal sense. With selection of detail, and the use of seasons,
Cummings explores and reveals the great legacy of his father and the
father’s positive relationship towards the world as reflected by
his son.