Poem no. 10 of Matric IEB Poetry Set. A summary and line-by-line analysis of "Nobody Loses All The Time" by E.E. Cummings. With a particular focus on diction context, poet information, punctuation, typography, and Irony. And hopefully, give you a clearer understanding of this poem, and guarantee an...
‘Nobody Loses All the Time’
By E.E. Cummings
Poet:
(non-examinable – purpose is merely to give context to some of the poem structural
elements)
- Well educated (bachelor’s degree) and well-travelled, but exposed to artistic
rebellion, Dadaism, which involved going against societal standards → poetic
rebellion (improper syntax)
Structure:
- Typography (shape of the poem: flowing and unusual) – points to the up/downs of life.
- No Capital Letters, only for Proper Nouns (against normal syntax)
- No punctuation
- Basic diction/vocabulary
Against normal syntax + basic diction = makes the poet seem uneducated but is in fact not the case
(it seems intentional).
Enjambement: extreme
- Lines run on and stanzas depend on each other to make sense.
- Speeds up the pace of the poem.
About: The speaker, tells the story of his Uncle Sol, who’s way of life and luck applied to
the idea that “Nobody loses all the time” all thought his life filled with ups and downs.
Ironic: Irony is a consistent figure of speech in the poem. In relation to ‘Uncle Sol’ he
continuously and ironically ‘loses’ when he should when win. And wins when he is expected
to ‘loses’ and only after the fact.
Important Poetic Elements/Figures of Speech:
Syntax The arrangement of words and phrases to
create well-formed sentences in a language.
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, Typography The style, appearance, and shape of printed
matter.
Situational Irony A situation in which actions have an effect
that is opposite from what was intended, so
that the outcome is contrary to what was
expected.
Simile Indirect comparison between two things using
the word like or as
Personification The attribution of a personal nature or human
characteristics to something non-human, or
the representation of an abstract quality in
human form.
Hyperbole exaggerated statements or claims.
Title:
‘Nobody Loses All The Time’
- Uplifting connotations
- Similar to ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ – ‘someone may be benefiting
from your short comings’
Southern Speaker
Proven using specific Southern diction:
- “highfalootin”
- “wit”
- “Missouri”
Stanza One
nobody loses all the time Stands on its own – amplifies the message
(eventually you will win)
Stanza Two
i had an uncle named
Sol who was a born failure and “born failure” – his failure inevitable (his
destiny)
nearly everybody said he should have
gone “vaudeville” – a form of entertainment
into vaudeville perhaps because my (comedy, song, dance)
Uncle Sol could
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