anyone lived in a pretty how town

anyone lived in a pretty how town

By e.e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.

Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

What the Poem Is About

The poem follows a single, unnamed figure—“anyone”—who lives in an ordinary town. The narrator shows how the townspeople treat him with indifference, how children forget him as they grow, and how even love is fleeting. In the end, “anyone” dies without anyone stopping to remember him. Through this story the poem asks us to think about how we value people who are not famous or extraordinary.

Key Themes

• Indifference of Society: The townspeople care little for “anyone.” Their routine lives leave no space for noticing him.
• The Cycle of Life and Time: Repeated references to the four seasons, to “sun moon stars rain,” and to the rhythm of days show that life moves on regardless of one person’s fate.
• Memory and Forgetting: Children remember him only briefly; as they grow older they forget. The poem suggests that memory is fragile.
• Love’s Transience: A woman loves “anyone” deeply, but even her love fades when he dies.

How the Poem Is Structured

The poem is written in short stanzas that feel like fragments of conversation. The lack of a regular rhyme or meter gives it an almost spoken‑word quality, which mirrors how ordinary life feels unstructured and unpredictable.

Repetition as Rhythm

• Seasons are listed repeatedly: “spring summer autumn winter.” This creates a musical pattern that reminds the reader of the natural cycle.
• The phrase “little by little” appears twice, emphasizing gradual change.

Imagery and Symbolism

• Bells: In the opening line, “with up so floating many bells down,” the bells symbolize moments that rise and fall—life’s fleeting joys and sorrows.
• Natural elements (sun, moon, stars, rain) appear as a chorus of life’s constants, suggesting that people are small parts of a larger world.

Personification and Metaphor

• The poem gives human qualities to abstract ideas: “she laughed his joy she cried his grief.” Joy and grief act as companions to the narrator’s life.
• Lines such as “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same” use metaphor to show that people often plant negative thoughts and harvest similar negativity.

Sound Devices

• Alliteration: Words like “little by little” create a soft echo, reinforcing the slow passage of time.
• Assonance: Repeated vowel sounds in lines such as “sun moon stars rain” give the poem a gentle musicality.

Why This Poem Works for Children

• The language is simple, yet it invites deeper thinking about how we treat others.
• Its playful structure encourages kids to notice patterns and experiment with their own writing.
• It offers a gentle introduction to the idea that everyone has value, even if they are not famous or extraordinary.

Discussion Questions for Class

1. What does “anyone” represent in our own lives?
2. How do the seasons help us understand the poem’s message about time?
3. Can you think of a moment when someone was forgotten? How did it feel?
4. Why do you think the poet chose to write the poem without a regular rhyme or meter?

By exploring these ideas, students can appreciate how e.e. cummings uses simple words and playful structure to ask big questions about life, memory, and kindness.