maggie and milly and molly and may Analysis - Literary devices and Poetic devices

maggie and milly and molly and may

By E. E. cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea

Summary of Maggie and Milly and Molly and May

Popularity of “Maggie and Milly and Molly and May”: First published in 1958 in the book 95 Poems, maggie and milly and molly and may, is a thought-provoking poem. This short poem is about a group of girls who visit the beach and have unique experiences. It also explains how the same places equip people with different experiences. It has won popularity because of the depiction of the universal thematic strands like emotions, loss, and comfort.
“Maggie and Milly and Molly and May” As a Representative of Life: This poem is about life experiences. It begins when the speaker calls out the names of four girls who went down to the beach to play. While playing, Maggie found a singing shell. The melody of the newly found object makes her forget her troubles. The other girl, Milly, befriended a stranded star whose rays were like five languid fingers. Moving on, he states that the horrible thing chased the third girl, Molly. That dreadful chase made her experience terror. However, May comes home with a significant smooth stone. The poet compares that small stone to the world. He ends the poem with a deep note that whatever we, as humans lose, we always find it in natural surroundings.
Major Themes in “Maggie and Milly and Molly and May”: Life experiences, happiness, and natural beauty are the major themes of the poem. The poem presents a group of girls in a natural setting. The poet describes that they play at the same place and gather different experiences that incite emotions like happiness, sorrow, and horror. It shows that life is made up of a variety of things and losing and winning constitute a major part of life. All human beings lose something at some point, and that loss shatters them for some time. However, time not only heals their sorrows but also gives them new opportunities to adore life again.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Maggie and Milly and Molly and May”

literary devices are tools that poets use to create meanings in their poems. It is through these devices they convey their emotions, feelings, and ideas to the readers. E. E. Cummings has used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices used in this poem are as follows.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “and maggie discovered a shell that sang” and the sound of /o/ in “may came home with a smooth round stone.
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /m/ in “maggie and milly and molly and may.”
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ in “which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and” and the sound of /m/ in “may came home with a smooth round stone.”
Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

“may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea”

Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The ending of the poem is ironic as the poet has generalized his idea that whatever we lose, we find on the sea such as;

“For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
It’s always ourselves we find in the sea”

Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet compares the child with a black thing forgotten in the snow in the opening line where it is stated as, “A little black thing among the snow.”
Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Cummings used imagery in this poem such as; “and maggie discovered a shell that sang”, “and molly was chased by a horrible thing” and “milly befriended a stranded star.”
Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as; man versus nature, leisure, experiences, joys, and losses.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Maggie and Milly and Molly and May

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are six stanzas in this poem, with each comprising two verses.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the losses we endure in life.

“For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea”