Table of Contents
Introduction:
‘In Just’ is a short poem written by e.e. cummings. Written in his signature style, this Modernist poem delves into the beauty of Spring season.
About the Poet:
Edward Estling Cummings (1894-1962) was a prominent American poet. In addition, he was also an essayist, playwright, and interestingly enough, painter. Famous works of his include ‘anyone lived in a pretty how town’, ‘Tulips and Chimneys’, and ‘Since feeling is first’.
Explanation of the Poem:
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it's
spring
and
the
goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
The poem begins with a description of springtime, how it’d be ‘mud-luscious’. During this time, the balloonman arrives with his whistles. The sound of his whistle attracts ‘eddieandbill’, that is, young boys. They abandon their games of ‘marbles and piracies’ and rush to the balloon man.
Next, in the very same ‘puddle-wonderful’ springtime filled, the strange balloonman blows his whistle again. This time, ‘bettyandisbel’, that is, young girls went dancing from their game of ‘hop-scotch and jump-rope’.
The poem ends with how during springtime is when the ‘goat-footed’ baloonman comes whistling.
Conclusion:
This is a sweet poem. It cocoons the readers in the gentle warmth of sun, making them revisit their childhood once again.
