In Just

"[in Just -]" Poem

Explore the poem below and note down how it is presented. Why do you think E.E. Cummings structures "[in Just -]" in this way? Does this form and structure suit the overall themes and message of the poem?

"[in Just -]" Summary

"[in Just -]" by E. E. Cummings is set during the spring. The speaker describes a few spring-like images, including the landscape being mud-like. True to typical spring-like weather when it often rains, mud and puddles of water are sporadically on the ground. Two boys and two girls are playing outside.

A man carting balloons walks by and calls them with a whistle. The balloon seller is lame, thereby seemingly slow to walk.

His whistle first entices the boys, who are playing with marbles. Although the man is slow, the boys leave their game and run to be by his side. The man, now described as odd, whistles again and attracts the attention of the two girls. The pair of girls who were playing hop-scotch and jump rope then leave their activities and run to him as well. In this final image of the poem, the balloon man is described as being "goat-footed" which lends a bit of imagination to the poem. The poem ends with the "balloonMan" whistling again, seemingly beckoning more children.

Fig. 1 - A satyr is a creature from Greek mythology with the torso of a man and the feet of a goat.

"[in Just-]" Structure

The poem "[in Just -]" by E. E. Cummings is 24 lines in length, written as one large stanza. As with many of Cummings' poems, it is visually interesting, with many blank spaces, broken lines, and words pushed together. "[in Just -]" has no discernible rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. Rather, this brief and disjunct narrative poem is written in free-verse, like many other poems from the modernist period.

Cummings is well-known for his experimentation with form, structure, capitalization, and syntactical conventions. "[in Just -]" uses non-traditional typography, with words that crash into one another, and lines that seem to tumble off the page in true Cummings form. Cummings uses experimental writing with purpose.

The blank spaces create a visual break for the eye and a phonetic break when reading aloud. The time it takes for the eye to jump from one word to the next creates a brief silence, long enough to slow the reading pace and emphasize specific words. Here is an example from line 5:

In this example, the gaps between words mimic the time it takes for the balloon man's whistle to travel to the distant children. Cummings uses the spaces on the page to help readers visualize the actual time it takes for sound to travel. Dismissing even traditional capitalization and spacing rules, Cummings jumbles words together in the following line, line 6:

The boys' names, proper nouns, remain uncapitalized in this instance. The lack of capital letters aims to de-emphasize the individual boys and show that these two are representative of likely numerous boys who have been called with a whistle. The compressed names represent visually the action of the poem. The boys are running to the balloon man.

Presenting their names as one jumbled word speeds up the poem in this section and imitates the action, making the words feel as rushed as the boys are. The visual cues Cummings employs such as varied positioning of words and spaces, length of words, phrases, and lines control pauses, create emphasis in the reading, and cause both relief and tension according to when and where the lines end.

"[in Just -]" Analysis

"In Just-" is a quintessential E.E. Cummings poem, notable for how it breaks with traditional poetic structure to capture the fluidity and excitement of spring. The poem shows scattered words and phrases to reflect the chaotic energy of children playing. The 'balloonman' acts as a symbol of nature, enchantment, and perhaps even the onset of adulthood, introducing a subtle layer of complexity to this otherwise seemingly innocent scene.

The poem can be viewed as a celebration of childhood innocence and the transformative power of nature. Its experimental style serves to encapsulate the raw, untamed energy of both spring and childhood.

To understand the poem, "[in Just -]" and E.E. Cummings' inventive and unique style, it is best to take a closer look at the poem.

Lines 1-4

Lines 1-4 of the poem begin by establishing the setting.

Opening his poem with the title, Cummings begins by playing with traditional capitalization rules. Capitalizing the word "Just" in line one reveals that the following incidents happen only in spring, exclusive to this season. The metaphor "the world is mud" means the world is moldable and malleable. It also literally represents the world is born again in spring, fresh after a rainstorm. Much like the children, the mud represents the freshness, youth of the earth, and potential for life.

Rather than rely on a traditional rhyme scheme, Cummings uses alliteration to establish a song-like pattern.

The lilting created with the repeated "l" sound in the phrase "luscious the little / lame balloonman" (lines 3-4) reminds one of a child's nursery rhyme. These endearing little songs children often learn in their youth, the spring of their lives.

Establishing a refrain throughout the poem, Cummings mentions spring and the balloon. Although both seem at first innocent images, the balloonman is lame, not able to walk right, and stands in direct contrast to the youth and potential offered by the season. When all things are growing and new, freshly rained upon with puddles of water about, the man can barely walk. His slow motions, like a limp, don't necessitate the children running toward him, but they do nonetheless.

Fig. 2 - Balloons are associated with youth and freedom, which contrasts the ”lame balloonman” who is likely old and cannot walk properly.

Lines 5-10

Lines 5-10 of the poem establish the first round of action and reinforces the setting.

Again stressing the importance of the season, Cummings mentions "spring" (line 9) as a sort of refrain. Line 5 begins a cycle within the poem, using the refrain "whistles far and wee" to show how the sound of the whistle travels and establish the patterned cycle. The space in the line, coupled with the rushed spacing in the following line that jams "eddieandbill" (line 10) together, shows the casual nature of the man in contrast with the hurried and boisterous boys. The world is "puddle-wonderful" but something sinister seems about to happen.

Cummings uses enjambment to propel the reader forward and create a sense of urgency within the narrative. Things are left unanswered at the end of line 10, and the need for a conclusion pushes readers to the next lines.

Lines 11-15

Lines 11-15 offer a more detailed description of the balloon man and mark a change in tone.

In a twist of fiction, the speaker in "[in Just - ]" now describes the balloonman as "queer", or weird. The man now seems amiss and even more out of place in a near heavenly-like setting of spring, a time of birth, renewal, and youth. The girls, just like the boys from earlier in the poem, leave their childlike play of "hop-scotch and jump-rope" (line 15) to follow the balloonman.

Showing their sense of urgency, "bettyandisbel" are proper names that are lowercased and mumbled together. The lack of proper capitalization, word spacing, and adherence to tradition shows the children may be about to break habits, or traditions, to start a new life or cycle.

Lines 16-24

Lines 16 -24 conclude the poem, ending in an ominous tone.

The poem ends on an ominous tone with the words literally trickling away, almost as if off the page. This visual depiction of the words mirrors the way the children run after the "goat-footed / balloonMan" (line 20-21). While some can interpret the balloon man as a satyr, who is mischievous and guides the children away, this figure can also be alluding to Pan, the Greek deity of fertility.

In this interpretation, the children are being led away from their childlike natures and off to lose their innocence. The final lines can be seen as a sexual awakening for individuals coming of age, leaving their childhood behind. The poem cycles through the man calling on the children and the children answering the call twice.

The poem then ends in anticipation as the "balloonMan whistles / far /and / wee" (line 21 -24). This eerie conclusion shows the cycle is almost certain to continue.

"[in Just -]" Themes

"[in Just -]" by E. E. Cummings uses a typical modernist topic of nature to explore the deeper meanings of life. Using simple diction and experimental form, Cummings explores two main themes of the renewal of spring and the inevitable loss of innocence.

The Renewal of Spring

The poem begins as a celebration of spring and childhood. Children are playing innocently and the landscape has just been kissed with spring rain. The meaning of the poem expresses a need to enjoy the new season's temperature and the spring of life while it lasts. Cumming's uses spring as a representation of all that is youthful, budding, innocent, and free. Only children can enjoy the mud on the ground, and giggle at the prospect of jumping in puddles.

The earth is mud, still pliable, and able to take any form. The earth, and the children, still have potential when in the spring of life. With simple form, direct diction, and clear images of youth and innocence, Cummings shows the charm of youth and innocence.

The Inevitable Loss of Innocence

As the poem progresses, readers are introduced to a ballonman who does not fit with the rest of the surroundings. He is lame, struggling to walk, and weird. In the poem's ending, the speaker hints that the innocence of childhood, like the nature of spring, is fleeting. Using refrain, Cummings shows how cycles in life are inevitable.

The children play. Then they are distracted by a whistle, a calling, and they instinctively they respond. The children are naturally curious, a characteristic of youth. However, once enticed by the unknown, the children drop their youthful and innocent endeavors.

The cycle of experience, expressed in the inevitable "whistle" is unavoidable. Therefore it is necessary to enjoy spring when possible. Whether it is the season and the lovely weather, or the spring of one's own youth, some things happen "in Just - /spring" and never again.