Read and annotate the poem "what if a much of a which of a wind" by E.E. Cummings on page 602 in your text book. How do the poem's and the novel's themes relate? Is there any of Jay Gatsby in the poem?
Caitlin C Period 2
2/19/2014 09:14:14 am
So, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I found that the poem was divided into three parts, the first trying to describe time, “Blow space to time… when the skies are hanged and the oceans drowned, the single secret will still be man…” (Cummings 602) I find that that represents a passage of time. The second stanza, I took as almost broken dreams or hopes that never left the person’s mind. “Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind (blow pity to envy and soul to mind)” (Cummings 602) I took that part as giving up, “seeing to blind” not having that insight anymore. The next part, I thought could be summed up as Cumming’s viewpoint of what “nothing” is, because as we know, “nothing” is still a thing. “Bites the universe in two” (Cummings 602) stood out to me especially, as I took it as everything unraveling, that wonder that people possess about what “nothing” will be. These all relate to Gatsby as time was an especially present theme, “Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place” (Fitzgerald 86) Time is a big part of Gatsby’s life as he wishes he could control it. Next, is the broken dreams, that made me think of Daisy and how heart-broken she became when she realized that she didn’t stand a chance with Gatsby, but was torn when she didn’t want to marry Tom. The third part, was the nothingness, and I found that with Nick, “And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world…” (Fitzgerald 180) Nick is contemplating the universe, something I like to do at ungodly hours of the night sometimes, but I feel like that makes him so relatable.
Emily F 5
2/19/2014 11:26:14 pm
The novel’s themes and the poem’s themes relate in the theme of loss of hope and time. The first stanza is about how things change; “wind gives truth so a summers lie.” Gatsby and Daisy were in love with each other in the past, but after time Daisy married Tom and left Gatsby. Gatsby wanted to almost go back in time and time stopped for him when he was away from Daisy. The second stanza talks about loss of hope; “what if a dawn of a doom of a dream bites this universe in two.” This could represent the futility of the American Dream seen in ‘The Great Gatsby’. Gatsby had never ending hope, but his plans did not work out.
Rachel H. Period 4
2/20/2014 08:28:42 am
I completely agree with you, Emily! I did not see this perspective when I first read the poem, but now that you had said that, it really sticks out to me, and I am able to see the poem this way. I saw the poem more as seeing life through a different perspective, but I definitely agree with what you had said. I did not even think about the futility of the American Dream. I really like your ideology!
Miranda L Period 4
2/20/2014 09:11:33 am
I agree with you too Emily. I feel like both pieces have a similair themes and they both relate to lost hope. I think you also made a great point about the American Dream. I did not look at it that way until now.
Emma S. 2
2/20/2014 10:33:50 am
I completely agree with you Emily. Gatsby never really never loses his sight of The American Dream. His never ending hope gives him the power to do whatever it takes to get it. Even though his plans did not work out, he is an inspirational character because he never gave up.
Matt R period 2
2/20/2014 10:26:30 pm
I think you bring up an important point about the American Dream and how it can seem better than what actually could be possible. When reading this poem, the contradictions in the poem expressed this feeling. The dawn of a dream is hopeful, but this poem describes the doom of this dream. The same idea of Gatsby's downfall is apparent in the poem and I think the american dream is an important aspect.
Lizzy K P4
2/20/2014 02:38:18 am
This poem is divided into three stanzas. The first stanza describes time and the effects it has on people, including destruction and evolution of concepts. The second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams, using words like "shattered" and "stifled" to emphasize the imagery. The third stanza begins by describing nothingsness, and how small one is in a situation, but the poem ends with the line "the most who die, the more we live" (Cummings 24), giving me a sense of hope in the nothingness created. This relates to Gatsby because the characters in the novel all moved East expecting new things. Nick states in the beginning of the book that he "came East, permanently...in the Spring of twenty-two" (Fitzgerald 3), looking for something he couldn't find in his home town.
Lizzy K P4
2/20/2014 06:02:42 am
Elaborating on my post:
The poem relates to the evolution of Jay Gatsby extremely. Jay Gatz moved around the world to find what he was looking for in his life, experiencing the time it took to find what he was looking for, the devastation of finding out that Daisy did not wait for him and the feeling of nothingness when he threw all the parties that his love did not come to. However, Gatsby found that hope discussed in the last line in the green light and he was able to develop a relationship with Daisy until his death.
Lizzy K P4
2/20/2014 06:02:47 am
Elaborating on my post:
The poem relates to the evolution of Jay Gatsby extremely. Jay Gatz moved around the world to find what he was looking for in his life, experiencing the time it took to find what he was looking for, the devastation of finding out that Daisy did not wait for him and the feeling of nothingness when he threw all the parties that his love did not come to. However, Gatsby found that hope discussed in the last line in the green light and he was able to develop a relationship with Daisy until his death.
Ryan F 2
2/23/2014 02:04:19 pm
I agree with what you are saying, these poems do relate very closely. I like what you said about the hopes and dreams section in the poem connecting to the moving east part of Great Gatsby. I hadn't really thought into that very much and reading your post made me think more into it.
Megan J P4
2/20/2014 04:12:31 am
The first 2 lines of the poem explain how sometimes something, like the wind, may come along and change someone’s perspective completely. For Jay Gatsby, this something was Daisy. He was head over heels in love with her and “The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at some time” (Fitzgerald 77). The poem states how the wind “yanks immortal stars awry” (Cummings 602). It would be impossible to move stars out of place in real life, but this line explains how anything is possible when that one life-changing incident comes into one’s life. After Daisy married Tom instead of Gatsby, due to the fact Gatsby was poor, Gatsby yanked his own immortal stars awry. Gatsby began as a poor man “loafing along the beach… in a torn green jersey and a pair of canvas pants” (100) to a self-made billionaire thanks to Daisy and her need for wealth that changed Gatsby’s perspective and dreams. Overall, the poem and the novel’s themes relate in the idea that anything is possible once something comes along and changes one’s perspective completely.
Jen M. P1
2/20/2014 08:15:25 am
I really enjoyed your comment about the wind. However, because this wind "bloodies with dizzying leaves the sun" and "gives truth to summer's lie," (Cummings 2-3) I felt it was supposed to represent something much darker. It seems more to me as if it is revealing all of the horrible things that have started to develop within the story. The "lie" of Jay Gatsby is swept away, and we are left with James Gatz, the man who has clawed and struggled to get where he is now, and who has lied every step of the way. This is what I feel the wind represents, but I like your more romantic idea better :)
Andrea B period 2
2/23/2014 12:42:33 pm
This made me look at the comparison between the two in a different perspective. I never really thought of the wind being something that would be important, but I see how it is now and I like your connections!
Angel A 5
2/20/2014 05:46:12 am
I think that overall, the winds were symbolic of the purity of nature. The force that a man can only hope to coexist with, maybe even alter, but never to conquer. That's how I relate it to Gatsby, his need to be with Daisy.Gatsby’s dream of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their respective social statuses, his resorting to crime to make enough money to impress her, he is trying to become someone that he was not meant to be, someone that wasn't the man called James Gatz. He tried to conquer what could not be done, and paid the price for it.
maddy b 2
2/20/2014 10:24:42 am
I agree with you angel. I believe that gatsby could not find a way to Coe exist and spent his life trying to get something that he should have know he would never have. He tried to twelve the past and thought that he was going to get Daisy regarding that fact that she is a married woman.
Caleb S, Period 5
2/25/2014 12:07:58 pm
I agree with you angel, I like that you see the winds as a symbol of the purity of nature. I also agree with the way you relate your reasoning to Gatsby. I really like that you said Gatsby's dream of loving Daisy is ruined by the difference in their respective social statuses, I think that is very true. He did what ever he had to do to get Daisy back, which was why he did all those crimes. He was trying to be someone that he was not meant to be. He felt that he had to do that to win over Daisy. I feel that Fitzgerald did an awesome job writing the book because people today do the same thin. It helps people relate.
Scott A 5th
2/20/2014 05:46:22 am
The poem describes humanity in differesnt aspects. In the first stanza it describes time and how it effects the world, it "leaves the sun and yanks immortal stars away" (Cummings 602). I like how at the end of the stanza, "the single secret will still be man" meaning man can not be twisted. The world changes just how things changed when Gatsby left Daisy for the military. When he got back he discovered what they once had was gone. In the second stanza, it describes destroyed dreams and hopes, it states, "blow hope to terror" portraying that hope is shattered. Gatsby dreamed of being with Daisy and worked hard to achieve his goal of being wealthy to win her back. In the end it did not even matter.
Alexis B. Period 1
2/20/2014 10:37:36 am
I agree I think that the stanzas, especially the second one connects to the idea of shattered dreams. Gatsby had this false sense of hope that he would get Daisy and start a new life with her, but day by day his dreams seemed to fade away, and it ended up never happening
Kelly B P1
2/20/2014 01:19:42 pm
I agree with your connection to the poems quote: "blow hope to terror." I agree that it relates directly to Gatsby's love for Daisy. He lived out of hope that she would come back to him. And when that didn't happen, all of that hope was shattered as he had to face the hard truth of losing everything he has worked for.
Ambreen M (period 1)
2/23/2014 01:24:48 pm
I agree with your connection, Scott. I liked the way you use nature to relate with the situation of Daisy and Gatsby.
Kevin T P1
2/20/2014 06:08:04 am
The poem in my opinions talks of change. In many of the verses it talks of how wind “Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind” (Cummings602). Take that quote for example, “Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind” can be related to Gatsby. When he met Daisy after all those years, he was full of hope that Daisy would come back to him, because he had all the things he could never give her. He changes himself, so that he can become the man, he sees to be perfect for Daisy, changing his life story from a poor farm boy soldier, to a self-made man who is rich by ways unknown and a war hero. He eventually saw that in chapter 7, “He looked… as if he had “killed a man.”… It passed, and he began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made. But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly…”(Fitzgerald134). All of his hard work was beginning to unravel, and destroying itself in the process.
Stephanie B; period 5
2/20/2014 06:16:36 am
The poem is divided into three stanzas that discuss an aspect of humanity. The first stanza describes time and the effect time has on nature, including the stars. However, while nature evolves and changes—“when skies are hanged and oceans are drowned”—Cummings claims that “the single secret will be man”, meaning humanity and his complexity is a mystery that can never be solved (ln.7-8). The second stanza describes the loss and destruction of dreams, and words such as “strangles” and “stifles” are used to illustrate almost a sudden and abrupt end to the dream. Cummings states that men with big hearts, or ones that are genuine and kind are the most vulnerable to the “wind”: [the wind] blow[s] hope to terror; blow[s] seeing to blind…whose hearts are mountains” (ln. 13-15). This particular line reminded me of Gatsby because of the fact that he was a genuine man and his love for Daisy blinded him and prevented him from seeing that the relationship between him and Daisy has changed and that it cannot be the same as it was in the past. The third stanza is about nothingness, the idea that other intangible concepts; including life and how it is nonexistent and infinite. The line “the most we die, the more we live” suggests that as more people die, the more the world has developed (ln. 25). “We” could be referring to the generations of people that have and will die in the future. I feel ‘The Great Gatsby’ uses elements of each aspect of humanity, especially time and shattered hopes and dreams. Time is important to Gatsby as a character; he wanted to repeat his past with Daisy; therefore, he acquires all this wealth in order to win her affections, which is his primary goal in life. The concept of time in the poem reminds me of when Gatsby almost knocked over the mantle clock during his first reunion with Daisy. The clock being in a nonoperational state symbolizes how time has stopped for Gatsby since he left Daisy, and the fact he caught it symbolizes his desire to rekindle the relationship he and Daisy once had. However, that dream is shattered in Chapter 7 when Myrtle dies, and a blind Gatsby is finally able to recognize that the dream is impossible to obtain.
Jesse S. Period 4
2/21/2014 01:45:24 pm
I agree with you statement of how the complexity of human behavior will never be fully understood. Gatsby had a huge heart that housed all his love for Daisy. However the death of myrtle and Gatsby, held no significance to Daisy whatsoever. "strangles valleys by ropes of thing and stifles forests in white ago?" The word choice such as valleys. We can associate valleys as religous, heaven, dreams, and so on. Then the words "stranges" and "stifles" implies a struggle within the valley. Such as how all the effort that Jay had put in to live the American Dream with daisy, was just utterly crushed. "blow hopes to terror; blow seeing to blind."
Ryan Dowler P5
2/20/2014 06:29:42 am
I found that each stanza relates to Gatsby in every way. The first stanza talks of time's power and how it can destroy "immortal stars" "Cummings 602) but at the same time it can not break down a mans soul. I took this as Gatsby's endless love for Daisy and how it could never be broken. The second stanza talks of broken dreams mainly, but at the end of it all, there is hope. It reminded me of how Gatsby always hoped that one day he could be with Daisy again. The last stanza described nothingness. I felt like each stanza told a part of Gatsby's story, from his time away from Daisy, his endless hope, and finally his seemingly empty death.
Corey K. (period 5)
2/20/2014 10:32:18 am
I agree with your similarities. throughout the novel we see Gatsby obsessed with the idea of loving Daisy and his relentless hope that they will be together. At the end, his death was empty as only 3 people went to his funeral. Just like the book, Cummings poem goes through the stages of Gatsby's life. From a life changing dream that cannot break ma, to relentless hope that will all work out, to the agonizing blow and an empty death.
Dong L. Period
2/20/2014 06:39:12 am
The poem is the break down on the theme of life and humanity. It is divided in to three stanzas that describe humanity and life. In the first stanza, it talks about time passing by while the natural world is changing at the same time. The second stanza describe how hopes and dreams can be destroy. In the third stanza, it talks about the ideas of nothingness and it makes the reader think what lies in this "nothingness". This relate to The Great Gatsby because when Nick saw, "The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing,... a thin red cirlce in the water"(Fitzgerald 162). Over time in the story, Gatsby have change many things in the story, even Nick's personality, his hopes and dreams were crush after his death and he is no left in the realm of "nothingness".
Elizabeth Z 2
2/20/2014 07:01:59 am
This poem has a lot to do with the idea of holding on to a dream, sometimes for too long. It says, "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind/(blow pity to envy and soul to mind)" (E. E. Cummings). This is a lot like how Gatsby holds onto his dream of being with Daisy for a bit too long. Eventually, he becomes blind to all logic of things and does everything based on what he wants to do. The common theme is one that warns of the dangers of persisting in something that is no longer plausible or worth it.
Jordan C 2
2/21/2014 08:19:55 am
I agree with you Elizabeth that you can see definitely how dreams are tested within both poem and novel. Dreams are really those that people hold onto and in Gatsby's case he held onto a dream so much that it blinded him and what he really needed to have in life.
Anna W. 1st
2/23/2014 02:26:02 am
I agree with you! Gatsby keeps this hope that Daisy will just bump into him and they can rekindle the flame they had years ago, and that hope that he holds on to blinds him. He loses touch with the reality of their situation and the fact that they aren't exactly the same people they used to be, and life isn't that easy. I agree with your theme as well, I believe Fitzgerald wanted to make it a point to say that hope is a good thing, and it's great to live for something, but it shouldn't consume your entire existence.
Alyssa Z.
2/23/2014 12:09:41 pm
I like your comment Elizabeth and the way you mentioned holding onto dreams for too long. I saw this as I read the poem as well and compared it to the green light due to how it symbolized Gatsby's dream for finally be with Daisy again in the future.
Matt R period 2
2/20/2014 07:10:59 am
I think part of this poem has to do with how the unviverse is always changing. In a sense, everything in Daisy's life shortly changed when Gatsby came into the picture. She began to act according to her love, not just money. Gatsby is almost described in the poem where "skies are hanged and oceans drowned." Gatsby did just that with Daisy where he briefly changed her world. His contradictions seem to stand out in a poem that simply is contradictions.
Imani B. 5
2/23/2014 09:59:43 am
Matt, I agree with the statement you have made with the poem relating to the changes being made in Daisy's life. But I feel as if she was changing more because Gatsby had the same kind of money that Tom did, and Gatsby was around more than Tom was, kind of forcing her love out a little since clearly, Gatsby's feelings for her were more true than hers were for him.
Rachel H. Period 4
2/20/2014 07:11:04 am
The poem's main idea, I feel is to explain how to see life through someone else's eyes. It is divided up into three stanzas, each having a significant meaning to the overall theme. In the first stanza it states "Blow king to beggar and queen to seem/ (blow friend to fiend:blow space to time)" (Cummings 5-6). I think that these lines are pondering on what life would be like if these people switched places, or even befriended each other; as if they were to see each other through another person's shoes, and with this, they could get a different perspective on life. In the second stanza it states "Blow hope to terror;blow seeing to blind/ (blow pity to envy and soul to mind)" (Cummings 13-14). I feel like this quote is similar to the first one; what if we just hoped instead of fearing? What if the blind where able to see? The same goes with pity to envy and soul to mind. If life was lived differently, there would be a different perspective on life from different people, in which is a common theme throughout Gatsby. For example, Nick saw life completely different from Daisy, Tom and Gatsby. Gatsby believed that money could buy love, and Daisy and Tom threw their money around, because that is how they were raised, whereas Nick had come from a poorer family than Daisy and Tom, so he knew that money did have a value, and was able to see that, rather than just throw it around. Gatsby on the other hand came from an extremely poor family, and thought that the only way to win Daisy's love was through money, so he too threw it around. I think that Nick is able to see the way that the other three live now that he has money, so he is able to do as he wishes with it, but it responsible with what he does. Gatsby on the other hand, is also able to see how Tom and Daisy have lived their lives once he "inherits" the money, but he just again throws it around; for example, when he throws all of the extravagant shirts on the ground; he does not care for the value, because of all the money he has.
Nick Wolf (P1)
2/20/2014 07:43:14 am
I think this poem has two major themes that coincide with The Great Gatsby. One is depicted in the first stanza, it talks about how time can “[give] the truth to summer’s lie… and yanks immortal stars awry,” but “when skies are hanged and oceans drowned, the single secret will still be man.” This is basically saying that even when time does the most outlandish things to nature and the world, man will always be the same. This is also shown in The Great Gatsby because even after so many years of waiting, Gatsby is still madly (quite literally so) in love with Daisy, and Daisy is still mostly looking for money. The second stanza towards the end Cummings talks about how the beginning of the end of a dream (“dawn of a doom of a dream”) can “blow soon to never and never to twice” but “the most who die, the more we live.” At the end of someone’s goal, whether he or she fails or succeeds, can do unthinkable things, like changing something that is close to something far, and then changing far into something that has already become regular. This theme is also prevalent in The Great Gatsby when hell breaks loose once Gatsby and Daisy are “together;” Myrtle gets run over by Daisy, and because of this, Gatsby is killed by Merlin.
Carl A. Period 5
2/20/2014 07:44:32 am
From what I understand, the poem is talking about life and the different parts of life. Each stanza represents something different, and as previously explained in the comments preceding: time's power, hopes and dreams, and void in life. The novel and poem's themes relate to each other because of time, hopes, and dreams. In the story, time is an important aspect like when Gatsby and the clock during his first meeting with Daisy in five years. Then the hopes and dreams, American Dream as a whole, are changed during the novel and broken, just like what the poem states, but there is still hope. I think the major relation to Jay Gatsby and the poem would be time and dreams. When Gatsby left for war, Daisy got married but he still says, "'Can't repeat the past?' he cried incredulously. 'Why of course you can'" (Fitzgerald 110). He full-hardheartedly dreamed of getting back with Daisy after all that time. It was shattered, but he never gave up hope especially after Daisy ran over Myrtle, he was still looking out for her, not himself. Gatsby's life in whole, represents the poem through the events.
Emily F 5
2/20/2014 08:51:06 am
Carl, I like how you explained that the poem was about different parts of life. I also like how you described that life continues on in the story as it does in the poem. I agree with you that the poem is about time and how it continues and also how that relates to Gatsby wanting to “repeat the past” (Fitzgerald 116). He is stuck in the past but time keeps moving on. The poem is also about hopelessness and I think that reflects the American Dream in the novel.
Dong L. Period 5
2/21/2014 08:10:13 am
I agree with you Carl because this poem describes about time, hopes and dreams, and the void in life. I agree how the hopes and dreams connect with the "American Dreams" in the story as a whole with Gatsby trying to get back to Daisy. Also, how the power of time connect with the story as well since Gatsby is using the power of his money to make things like it was five years ago.
Tyler Ken. 1
2/23/2014 10:40:36 am
I agree with you that the poem represents time's power, hopes and dreams, and void in life and heavily relates to The Great Gatsby. I believe time in the poem and the clock in the novel both mean time that has passed in life and the need for resolve. Gatsby stated that " I'm going to fix everything just the way it was before" (116). Gatsby struggles with the changed status of Daisy and the fact that Daisy will never love him and be with him like she did in Louisville.
Jen M. P1
2/20/2014 07:47:13 am
After reading the poem, I found that much of it reflects Gatsby. Even in just the first. Gatsby's entire journey as character, in its simplest form, canned be summed up in the line "Blow king to beggar and queen to seam" (Cummings 5). He starts out as this amazing, fantastic man, comparable to royalty; but his life quickly spirals out of control, falling further apart until he eventually ends up, literally, in the dirt, reminiscent of a beggar. Which isn't too far from what he becomes, practically pleading with Daisy to love him by the end of the book. His generosity towards those very people who left him dangling is also found in the poem. Gatsby's parties, and the escape provides for Daisy; everything he offers gives "hope to terror... pity to envy and soul to mind" (Cummings 13-14). He is practically embodied in three lines of the poem.
Ashlee P. 5
2/21/2014 09:45:53 am
I agree with you Jen. The readers first knowledge about Gatsby leads them to think he is a man on top of the world who has everything together and as Nick gets to know Gatsby more and more you discover that he, just like everyone else, has struggles and dreams he wants achieved that elude him and throughout the story you see Gatsby's world being to crumple around him.
Megan J P4
2/22/2014 06:23:41 am
I really liked your explanation and I completely agree that the line "Blow king to beggar" really embodies Gatsby. Gatsby was wealthy beyond belief, like a king, but he turns into a desperate man begging and pleading for Daisy to tell Tom that she "never loved him- and it's all wiped our forever" ( Fitzgerald 135). When Daisy refuses, Gatsby's hope for the future turns to defeat and terror as Gatsby's "dead dream... slipped away" (138).
Elizabeth Z 2
2/23/2014 08:42:22 am
Those are some great connections you found. I like how you used the images of Gatsby in the dirt as similar to a beggar. That is something that I didn't think of, but it is definitely true! I especially liked the line that said, "Blow kind to beggar and queen to seam," because it is able to sum up Gatsby's life pretty quickly and directly.
Carissa Corpuz P4
2/20/2014 08:03:26 am
I believe that the poem is about how memories of the past help to shape a person to who they become. The main idea directs clearly to Gatsby because Daisy was the main driving force to attain his wealth and riches. One of the lines that displays this is when Cummings states, "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind" (Cummings 602). Gatsby fears that Daisy does not love him because he is poor. He changes who he is because he thinks that she will accept him once he is rich. I think that the last stanza sums up Gatsby and Daisy's relationship as a line states that, "[w]hat if a dawn of a doom of a dream bites this universe in two..." (Cummings 603). When Gatsby achieves his dream of getting Daisy back, it starts the tangling of the plot and new details to emerge, ultimately the downfall of the characters. As a result of the two of them being together, Gatsby gets killed by Wilson, Myrtle dies, and Tom and Daisy leave town. Their relationship is toxic and dangerous to the people surrounding them.
Kevin T P1
2/21/2014 05:32:02 am
I like how you saw the poem. How the Gatsby-Daisy relationship, was destructive to those around them. I interpreted the poem your first quote as more of representing Gatsby, more than the relationship. He changed his life hoping to be with Daisy. However in the process, he built up a history illegal actions that was the foundation of his wealth. His love became list dust that blinded his eyes. He was willing to take the blame for killing Myrtle, even though both he and Daisy knew it was Daisy fault.
Harshita K. 1
2/21/2014 05:36:56 am
I have to agree with you about the idea of how this poem relates to time and character development. Both the poem written by E.E Cummings and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby shares the idea of memories of the past. Through out the whole novel Gatsby reflects on his past and how it has shaped him today but also his life long goal is shattered into pieces. to Gatsby. Specifically when Cummings writes, "my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly," (Cummings 10). This shows how life is unexpected.
Yousuf A Period 5
2/23/2014 11:28:48 pm
I agree I think that the stanzas, especially the second one connects to the idea of shattered dreams. Gatsby had this false sense of hope that he would get Daisy and start a new life with her, but day by day his dreams seemed to fade away, and it ended up never happening
Harshita K 1
2/20/2014 08:35:24 am
I feel as though The Great Gatsby written by Fitzgerald and What if a much of a which of a wind are cut from the same cloth meaning sharing a lot of similarities; seeming to have been derived from same idea. The poem describes how in the flow of time, dreams and hopes may be shattered only leaving nothingness behind. As exemplified by the poem,"yanks immortal stars awry...when skies are hanged and oceans drowned"(cummings 602). Gatsby in The Great Gatsby can't let go of the past"believing in that green light, the organistic future that year by year recedes before us"(Fitzgerald 180). He tried all of his hardest to achieve his life long goal to get his one true love Daisy Buchanan. One can have many life goals and dreams but there is always that one dream that you will do anything to reach it, however if one fails to acomplish that goal there is nothing left. This relates to Gatsby and the second stanza of the poem and the third.
Mackenzie K. period 1
2/20/2014 08:51:32 am
After reading the poem, it does have some distinct connections to Gatsby. Specifically when Cummings writes, "my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly," (Cummings 10). Gatsby, although did not have a big impact on people, his life was adventurous, and in my opinion beautiful. He dedicated his life to getting Daisy to love him. But it also ended suddenly when Wilson shot him.
Rachel VB (4)
2/20/2014 01:18:06 pm
I think similarly to you but I would also like to add the idea of time. Gatsby's life ended short when he was murdered by Wilson. He had not accomplished what he wanted to when his life came to an end which leaves many open ends. Although many people that attended his parties did not personally know him, Gatsby made a positive impact on Nick's life.
Ali D 4
2/23/2014 08:01:29 am
I agree with you, Gatsby did try very hard to get Daisy back in his life. I disagree when you say that he did not impact people, I agree with Rachel VB when she says that he made a positive impact on Nick's life. Nick got to see the real man that Gatsby was and it did positively impact Nick.
Ryan C 4
2/26/2014 04:08:21 am
I agree here, I do also think that there is the element of time to be applied to the poem, thus the differing language in each stanza. I think that it does foreshadow an abrupt end, much like that of the life of Gatsby.
Jack M. P1
2/20/2014 08:51:49 am
I think that if this poem relates to Gatsby, it relates to the last line the strongest. In the poem the last line states" "all nothing's only our hugest home; the most who die, the more we live". This quote struck me as interesting because of what it means in relation to Gatsby. During the story Nick and Gatsby live a single track life: Gatsby obsessing over Daisy and Nick juggling Jordan and Gatsby. After Gatsby dies, Nick becomes aware that there is more to living than Gatsby and Jordan, along with the realization that some people he knew did not care for Gatsby as much as he thought. This relates to the quote, because he starts living after the death of a friend. But honestly, I think this poem is more of an answer to any question, and is better look at as that then an accompanying piece to an ultimately un-related novel.
Matt C 1
2/23/2014 08:12:39 am
I agree with your comment. I think that this poem most relates to Gatsby with the last line. Nick learns a lot from Gatsby's life and his experiences with him, which goes along with the poem. Nick takes a lot away from his time with Gatsby.
Mildreth T period 1
2/20/2014 08:54:56 am
I found that the poem and the book as a whole have a lot in common. In the first stanza it said, "what if a much of a which of a wind gives the truth to summer's lie" and i feel like that relates to all the lies that were said with Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, etc. 'The wind' would be the newspaper, the people, and/or the rumors that were spread that lead to the truth.
"Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind" the first part of that quote reminds me of Daisy because she was hoping to marry Gatsby at some point and she was hoping for a lot of other things but then suddenly her hope turned into terror when she was confronted by Tom. The second part of the quote reminds me of Gatsby because he was blinded by a love that would never exist between him and Daisy.
Kyra J. Period 1
2/20/2014 09:08:56 am
I must say, to me, this was a hard poem to decipher, but it does relate to the Great Gatsby in two ways. The first stanza basically is talking about time. When E. E. Cummings says, "Blow king to beggar and queen to seem" (ln 5) he is describing how time pasts and how people change. This is related to the Great Gatsby because although Jay and Daisy used to be in love, things have changed. As much as Gatsby wants to, he cannot repeat time or change who Daisy has become. The second way this poem relates to the Great Gatsby is during the second stanza where Cummings is basically talking about destroyed dreams. He says, "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind/ (blow pity to envy and soul to mind)" (ln 13-14). Cummings is describing how something so wonderful like hope can end up like something evil like terror. This relates to the Gatsby because he had an idea, a good idea, to win Daisy back. He went from rags to riches, but getting too caught up in his dream left him floating in bloody water.
Becca K Period 4
2/20/2014 09:09:05 am
When I read this poem, a line that really sticks out to me is "what if a keen of lean wind flays / screaming hills with sleet and snow" (Cummings 602). When I read this line, I envision a big wind completely burying a hill with big piles of sleet and snow. This would've been enough for me, but the next few lines only add to the meaning, "strangles valleys by ropes of thing and stifles forests in white ago?" (Cummings 602). When I read this, I am filled with images of destruction. All together they form a question, and I think Cummings was asking, what do you do when your dreams are crushed? What do you do if life gets in the way and throws problems on you that get in the way of your dream? I think the hills, valleys, and forests are symbolic of a dream, while the wind brings troubles that bury the dream. I think these lines directly relate to the Great Gatsby, because Gatsby's entire life was focused on his dream of winning back Daisy's love. However, a big wind with sleet and snow covered him, or more realistically, a big wave of problems, worries, and tough decisions got in the way of his dream. In the end, he never reached his dream because life got in the way. Daisy had moved on without him and crushed his chance at achieving what he strived for.
Haley M period 4
2/23/2014 09:37:05 am
I like the pictures the you imagined. Of the snow and the destruction. I also like the question you bring up about what do you do when your dreams are crushed. How do you get out of different problems and situations? Like in the Great Gatsby the readers and Gatsby were thinking what was he going to do when his dream was lost.
Miranda L Period 4
2/20/2014 09:09:37 am
The themes of both the novel and the poem are very similair. They both have the theme that relates to the loss of hope. Gatsby tries so hard to continue on with his life in the past after he comes home from war. He refuses to realize that things have changed and that him and Daisy can no longer be together. E.E Cumming's poem relates to this theme because his poem states, "what if a dawn of doom of a dream bites the universe in two." This basically means that a cloud of doom will always hang over society, representing lost hope.
Bailey F p2
2/20/2014 10:48:55 pm
I agree with you Miranda. I think that E.E Cummings poem, and "The Great Gatsby" share the loss of hope and shattered dreams. Gatsby hopes to be with Daisy throughout the entire novel. He bases everything that he does in life on the idea of being with her again. He wants to feel the special connection he had before, and it is just so hard to find. Gatsby's hopes and dreams of being with Daisy come to an end when he is shot. He did get to talk to Daisy, but since Wilson shot him, he was not able to pursue a relationship with her other than friendship.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
2/20/2014 09:17:16 am
I think that the poem is talking about being surprised; the poem seems to be when you’re at a lost for words, and are unable to find the right way to express a deep feeling, such as love. Each stanza represents something: time, dreams, and life. “The Great Gatsby” and poem seem to have similar themes. Throughout the novel, time is expressed when Gatsby catches the clock in front of Daisy: “caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place” (Fitzgerald 86). I feel that this is how Fitzgerald expresses that Gatsby tries to catch time, but their lives have changed throughout the five years they haven’t seen each other. I think the major relation to Jay Gatsby and the poem would be about the time. As Cummings states, “Blow space to time – when skies are hanged and oceans are drowned, the single secret will still be man” (Cummings 602). I feel that this quotes expresses the obvious: the sky is up above everyone, the oceans are all filled with water, and lastly, man needs time to come to an understanding. I feel that Gatsby knew he would eventually find Daisy, and after five years, he finally did. The only problem was that he expected that she would drop her life and run away with Gatsby, instead of lying to Tom and fixing her marriage with him. It took time for Nick to decide that Daisy was a horrible, reckless woman, and Gatsby ended up paying for the secret; he died. Cummings conveys complex feelings into simple terms, just as Fitzgerald made ordinary items symbolize the love history between Daisy and Gatsby.
Morganne J p.5
2/23/2014 12:35:39 pm
I really like how you compared Cummings’ writing about complex feelings to Fitzgerald’s symbols in The Great Gatsby. I think the two ideas are very parallel to each other. To me, some themes of the novel could be the misunderstanding of the feelings that come with love, fear, and hope.
Chris Q 1
2/20/2014 09:19:20 am
I found that the line,"the single secret will still be man" to end the first stanza was awkwardly placed. Every line except this one, rhyme, leaving it a misfit. It sticks out to the reader just like Gatsby. They both try to fit in in places they can not.
Amber H. p4
2/20/2014 09:21:24 am
I think that this poem is about how through time, and how things around a man may change that man stays the same. Nature is easier to change than man, and man stays the same. Daisy is like nature (hence her name) she was easily malleable by time and outside sources. She was so in love with Gatsby before he went off to war, then she met Tom, fell in love with him, and even when Gatsby sent her a letter, telling her to wait for him, she was going to wait for him, but her mother convinced her otherwise, and convinced her to build a life with Tom. Through the years, she changed, and the way of life changed, just like Oswego and this area does, five years ago it was different than it is now. But Gatsby stayed the same, kept all his emotions inside and now he has paid the price of his life. Gatsby, much like the man in the poem in my opinion, was sort of living in the past, and his premature death was like history catching up with him.
That reminds me of one of my favorite TV shows called Doctor Who, there is a creature called the Weeping Angel that sends you back in time when it touches you, and you die in the present. To me, Gatsby was touched by an angel and his time was up.
The end of the poem, "the most who die, the more we live" this takes me back to my previous post about the favorite quote and the other poem, "The Tide Rises and the Tide Falls" how even though people die, life still goes on and there are other people and adventures over the horizon.
Paulette D. Period 5
2/20/2014 09:30:41 am
The quote from the poem that i thought related to Gatsby is, "blow king to beggar and queen to seem/ (blow friend to fiend:blow space to time)/-- when skies are hanged and oceans drowned,/ the single secret will still be man" (Cummings 5-8). The "king to beggar" represents the crash of the stock market. America had the richest economy then but when it crashed, America fell in to a depression. For Gatsby thought, it was the opposite. He went from rags to riches in just a few years thanks to the booming economy of the US. Gatsby's determination relates to the second part of the quote, because even with all the challenges he faced, his faith was not shaken.
Paula R. Period 5
2/23/2014 12:53:40 pm
You make a great point about the Great Depression, I never connected the novel to the recession that happened in that decade and it might be connected to the book, but I don't think that it's necessarily the reason why Gatsby became wealthy. Remember that Gatsby became rich through the illegal alcohol business with Wolfsheim. The book can relate to the Great Depression though. In the beginning of the novel, everything seemed like a giant party, all was going well and people were living lavishly this can be compared to what the 20s were called-The Roaring 20s. Toward the end of the book, there was a more grim tone, this can be compared to the Great Depression that started in 1929, the end of the 20s.
Julia C. p2
2/20/2014 09:42:57 am
I think that both this poem and The Great Gatsby have an idea of lost hope and lost time. Fitzgerald expresses through Gatsby how he feels like he can just repeat the past like no time had gone by. The loss of time is represented in the E.E Cummings poem, "...wind / gives truth to summer's lie"(Cummings ln 1-2). I think that this shows how though Gatsby never lost hope and that he would end of with Daisy but too much time had pasted and her life was too different.
Giancarlo G. Period 1
2/23/2014 05:43:58 am
I agree with you, Julia. Gatsby is stubborn to realize that things have changed, and it has been five years; times have changed. Daisy and him can no longer be together. I feel that through E.E Cumming's poem, it relates to this theme, because the poem says, "what if a dawn of doom of a dream bites the universe in two" (Cummings 602). This quote emphasizes that tragedy will always hang over society, only enhancing the point of lost hope.
Vasudha P (1)
2/20/2014 10:08:05 am
What if a much of a which of a wind is divided into 3 different stanzas that each describe one aspect of humanity. All of the aspects are also found in the Great Gatsby. The first stanza describes Time, and the effects it has on the destruction and change of the natural world, even the stars, but also assures us that the infinite complexity and Uniqueness of man's soul can never be unraveled. People like Gatsby always spent their life trying to go back in time yet was never achieved and everything was destroyed. The second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams, using words like "strangling" and "stifled" to describe dreams that were never completed.Just like Great Gatsby, nobody got to stay with everything they wanted. Gatsby died, Daisy and Tom only got money, Nick got nothing, Jordan didn't get nick. However, the final line, which says "it's they shall cry hello to spring", gives us hope that better times will come, as they always do. The final stanza describes the idea of nothingness. In this nothingness in nowhere, life, death, and time are both nonexistent and infinite at the same time. The final line "the most who die, the more we live", makes me think that this nothingness could be an afterlife, or afterdeath, where souls exist (or cease to exist) in nothingness (or infinity). this represents the what happens to Gatsby.
Noelle Sather- Period 4
2/20/2014 10:09:51 am
This poem is divided into three stanzas, the first stanza describes time, the second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams, and the final stanza describes the idea of nothingness. The poem and "The Great Gatsby" have similar themes. The loss of time and the loss of hope are both themes that are evident in the novel and the poem. Gatsby was hopelessly head over heels for Daisy while she was off with another man, Tom. Gatsby is determined that Daisy does not love Tom and she is still in love with him. However, the fact that she married someone other than Gatsby when she said she would wait for him proves that his hopes and dreams were shattered by Daisy. Also the theme of nothingness relates because At the end of the novel Gatsby is murdered and no one shows up to his funeral, not even Daisy. We can infer that to her, Gatsby was nothing, due to the fact that she ditched out on his funeral.
Katelyn B Period 2
2/20/2014 11:09:13 am
Noelle, I completely agree with you! Daisy was the once to shatter Gatsby's hopes and dreams as she confided her love in Tom as she was impatient to wait for the wealth Gatsby promised to earn to gain her affection. However, Gatsby continued to live in the past and treat their connection the same as if the five years of time never existed. His devotion to making Daisy happy and showing she is worth fighting for expresses his optimism in life and to never give up your dreams. This idea can be seen within the poem's transition between the second and third stanza: "Blow hope to terror...they shall cry hello to the spring" (Cummings 13-16). The optimistic view/hope in the poem can reveal the first signs of spring from the harsh winter, which can also represent the signs of a new beginning of life. In Gatsby's case, that new beginning is the reunion/restoration of his and Daisy's past relationship.
Bailey F p2
2/20/2014 10:13:56 am
The poem, "What if a much of a which of a wind," has a few different main ideas. It is broken up into three stanzas, each with a different meaning. The first stanza describes time and the effects that it has had on the world. This can relate to the Great Gatsby because Gatsby tends to struggle with time. He is stuck in the past, and he cannot find a way to live in the moment. All he worries about is his relationship with Daisy, and that happened a long time ago. The second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams. This can also relate to Gatsby because his hopes and dreams are shattered. He finally gets to connect with Daisy, but then he is shot which instantly took away what he wanted with her. The third stanza describes the idea of nothingness. I think that Gatsby almost feels as if he is nothing without Daisy. He really doesn't do anything in life but try to find her and connect with her again. Overall, I think that the poem by Cummings is greatly related to The Great Gatsby.
Stephanie B; period 5
2/22/2014 03:09:41 pm
I can see why some people would say that the poem indicates that people change while some would say that who a person can never really change. In a certain aspect, I believe the poem does say that people do change when it says, "Blow king to beggar". I interpreted this line as meaning that throughout life, different circumstances can cause peoples' identities to evolve and change. However, the poem does state that the single mystery of humanity is man's complexity; therefore, people are all the same and do not change in the fact that human nature is complex and difficult to understand. However, I believe the poem is not about whether people do or do not change. I believe the poem focuses more on what generally happens throughout every person's life: a man can lose his identity and watch his dreams crumble before his eyes, before he dies and becomes a part of nothingness. I believe this poem focuses more on time and how it can affect people and nature. Time is constant, therefore, change is inevitable, but there is always and ending point for almost anything in life. Daisy and Gatsby's relationship ended by the end of the novel and Gatsby as well as Myrtle and Wilson died.
maddy b 2
2/20/2014 10:20:16 am
I think that this poem is about how things and people change. Daisy changed when gatsby came into her life she started to finally be happy and live for love rather than rank. Gatsby lived his life loyally for Daisy and died this way. But in the end Daisy still coveted back to get old ways and ran away from her problems. That is what I think this peon is about how people change.
Kelsey J 1
2/20/2014 10:58:11 am
I would have to disagree with you. I believe this poem is about how people always stay the same no matter what happens in the end. Like you said, In the end, Daisy still converted back to her old ways and ran away from her problems. Cummings says that this "doom of a dream... sprinkles nowhere with me and you" (602). As in despite all of these terrible things happening, man has gotten nowhere, and the situation has not changed.
Corey K. (period 5)
2/20/2014 10:25:06 am
I believe Gatsby can be connected to the line "what if a dawn of a doom of a dream/ bites this universe in two/ peels forever out of his grave/ and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?" (cummings 17-20). Gatsby dream to be back with Daisy after he comes back from the war fuels his motives. Before Daisy and Jay meet, there are no real problems in the novel. However, after his relentless goal of finding here becomes tangible, the universe is ripped in two. The feud between Tom and Daisy start, confusion settles in with Nick and it is more clear than ever that sin is less significant. In the end, Gatsby will go to his grave, without Daisy... leaving the universe still torn in two.
Jordan C 5
2/23/2014 01:23:47 pm
I find this to be very relatable as well. Not only because Daisy and Jay both start to confront their problems after meeting, but just the mere fact that the book is practically centered around their lives and their love for each other. Both characters have issues preventing them from living "happily ever after," for lack of a better term. Gatsby is a criminal and Daisy's lover, Tom, is a very powerful and short tempered man. Ultimately, Gatsby and Daisy's relationship is just one that is doomed to meet an unsettling end.
Emma S. 2
2/20/2014 10:31:34 am
The theme from Gatsby and the poem is about time and how time effects the world. Time effects Gatsby because he relys on the time and for it to bring Daisy and him back together. He is constantly looking back in time, on all the good times him and Daisy had. The dreams of Gatsby are relatable to the second stanza of the poem. Gatsby dreams of this grand life with Daisy and goes to any measure to get it but he dies in the end which causes his dreams to go to pieces. The third stanza about empitness and having nothing in life. Gatsby feels empty without Daisy and he makes his whole life that, leaving him with nothing in life but a hopeless love.
Costa D. period 2
2/23/2014 07:31:52 am
I agree that time plays a significant role. Gatsby's worst enemy is time in the sense that Daisy would not come back to him because she was happily married with a child, all within five years. Gatsby knew he could not change that, even with all the money in the world. Time in the end is what ruined Gatsby's dreams. We also see this connection when Gatsby broke the clock upon meeting with Daisy in earlier chapters.
Riley S. P2
2/23/2014 09:07:10 am
I completely agree, I feel that Gatsby's demise was time. The people surrounding Gatsby didn't tear him down, it was the clock. No one can repeat the past. Good connection.
Alexis B. Period 1
2/20/2014 10:33:17 am
The themes relate because they both deal with the idea of hopelessness and a sense of loss. Many of the ideas from the poem can be directly related to Gatsby. The first stanza is about time, and I think this can be related to the time that was lost during Gatsby's life. His hard work was devoted for one that moment that he would finally see Daisy again. The meaning of his life was lost because I feel that he was living for her, and not himself. For example, when Daisy and Gatsby meet at Nick's house for the first time he says, "His head leaned back so far that it rested against the face of a defunct mantelpiece clock..." (Fitzgerald 91). I think this quote shows the dysfunction and awkwardness Gatsby felt at that time. The second stanza is about shattered hopes and dreams. This is related to Gatsby's shattered dreams, as he thought he could start a new life with Daisy. This proved to be false, and would never happen. The third stanza describes the idea of nothingness. The end of the novel sums up the nothingness Gatsby felt after all his hopes and dreams of a new life were shattered. O
Angel A 5
2/21/2014 10:52:42 am
I agree with you. The first stanza related to time, Gatsby used a majority of his life striving to achieve his dream. He longed for the day that he would see Daisy, his whole life's purpose revolved around Daisy. He wanted to become wealthy so that he can prove to her that he would be able to take care of her.
Shelby D 5
2/20/2014 10:34:43 am
I believe that the poem and the novel have similar themes. One of the themes I saw within the poem is the identity of truth. This is evident in the first stanza when it tells of how the “wind gives the truth to summer’s lie” (Cummings 1-2). This idea of time passing reveals the truth is also present in The Great Gatsby. This idea can also be inferred from the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy. After Gatsby leaves Daisy, she ends up marrying Tom. Gatsby will not believe that Daisy is happy with Tom. And instead of moving on, Gatsby does everything in his power to gain the riches and wealth he believes it will take to get Daisy back. However, in the end Gatsby ends up being killed for revenge against a crime that he did not commit, and Tom and Daisy continue on with their normal lives as if Gatsby had never came into it. I personally see Jay Gatsby within the poem when it discusses how “they shall cry hello to the spring” (Cummings 16). This gives an idea of hope, because the seasons are constant and never ending. This is what I see most prominently in Gatsby. Gatsby portrays this idea the most when he stays outside of Tom and Daisy’s home all night after he is suspected of killing Myrtle. He is not worried about the consequence of the murder at all; in fact, he is only concerned with protecting Daisy from Tom.
Katelyn B Period 2
2/20/2014 10:36:06 am
Cummings’s poem, “what if a much of a which of a wind”, and Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” both share parallel themes and ideas. One of the main ideas that both pieces of writing presents is the idea behind the corruption of society as time progresses. The gust of wind introduced in the first stanza signifies the loss of morals due to the latest trends being followed by people to conform to society as it shines light on “…the truth to summer’s lie;…single secret will still be man” (Cummings 2). This loss of morals and end of humanity is truly expressed throughout the second stanza as the image of screaming hills, valleys, and forests are suffocated by the snow, resulting in the good-nature of human morals to be deceased. The corruption of society, once torn apart to find to the root of the problem, leads back to the destructive actions of humans. Those people who conformed to society are the ones indirectly punishing themselves as one day their actions will come back at one point and negatively effect their lives. Likewise, in “The Great Gatsby”, halfway between the East and West Egg there is “…a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges….where ashes take forms of house…with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 23). The valley of ashes which is described to readers, expresses the idea of a corrupting life-style as ashes (debris of something burned; in this case morals) take over the lives of the surrounding citizens as their morals disintegrate in the air amongst the ashes. This environment being created by the inhabitants, to fit into the new demands of a modern society, is leading to the deterioration of good values that were once practiced and will end up replacing a successful society with one that is destructive. In a different perspective, Jay Gatsby can be found throughout this poem as the second stanza offers an optimistic view: “Blow hope to terror…they shall cry hello to the spring” (Cummings 13-16). Potentially a sign of spring can appear from those with dedication and hope for a better life, showing the potential for a new beginning of society and restoration of morals. This optimism suggested in the poem relates to Gatsby’s character as he is constantly looking at his loss of Daisy in an optimistic light in hope to one day restore his previous relationship after she rediscovers her true love for him when they reunite. Gatsby never gives up fighting for what he wants and chasing his dream to gain true happiness, supporting the poem’s idea, the inevitable corruption of society due to poor actions of humans, not existing as long as humans are willing to put forward to the effort to prevent the destruction.
Joe S. Period 1
2/20/2014 10:36:41 am
In my opinion, the poem seems to be talking about hopes and dreams. In the second stanza, it mainly focuses on how dreams and hopes are shattered. This destruction of shattered hopes and dreams can be referred back to "The Great Gatsby". One connection that stands out to me is the quote "strangles valleys by ropes of thing" (Cummings 11). The quote makes a connection about the loss of a grand dream. In "The Great Gatsby", Gatsby's main dream was to get Daisy's love back. His dream was strangled by a rope of intoxication, the rope being Daisy and and Wilson. Those actions Gatsby took throughout the years to regain Daisy's faithful love were thrown away as his goal never was completed. The complexity of Cumming's quotes indicate much bigger things, while Fitzgerald's master piece conveys simple ideas that can be stretched into many different possibilities. Another important quote is "Whose hearts are mountains" (Cummings 15). I think this quote is saying that those with now crushed hopes and dreams had hearts and the amount of love as big as mountains. For example, Gatsby had so much love for Daisy, but in the end his big love was ripped away by Daisy's own errors and cruel actions. I think that the poem indicates the works of catastrophic destruction. The poem also contains a lot of emotions and deep sorrow. On the other hand, on of the lines "shall cry hello to the spring" (Cummings 16), signifies that better times will come just like how spring brings a time of rejoice. Some of the ideas Cummings wrote seem complicated but stand put as significant and vivid images that show its larger meaning.
Eric F 2
2/20/2014 10:51:39 am
One line that really sticks out to me in regards to Gatsby is "Blow hope to terror, blow seeing to blind". Specifically hope in the face of terror. Gatsby is idealistic, romantic, optimistic, and one of his most notable quotes is "Can’t repeat the past?...Why of course you can!" (Fitzgerald) when Nick tries to make him see the truth about his relationship with Daisy. This sort of amazing positivity (or some may say naivety) is one of his most defining characteristics, and the rest of the text about things changing abruptly and seasons passing is perfectly in line for a romantic like Gatsby.
Lizzy K P4
2/21/2014 02:30:17 am
Eric, I agree with you, but I would also like to point out that Gatsby's idealism conflicted with his romaticism. Gatsby's romanticism can be described thorugh his dependence on believing in things that would seem unrealistic to the normal eye, specifically love. His idealism branches out far past love, however, and he avoids the fact that time does change a lot of things. It is pointed out through your quote that Gatsby thinks changing the past is possible, perhaps because he believes time has no affect on people. His love for Daisy, despite Tom, flourishes and he is pleased with it, but he does not recognize that his happiness is coming from a crime (adultery). The characters' mistakes all have consequences - some rather large - and they all avoid them. Consequently, I think Gatsby embodies "blow pity to envy" because he commits his adulterous acts because he will no longer be envious of Tom; he will take what he wants.
Kelsey J 1
2/20/2014 10:53:42 am
I believe that the first stanza is trying to explain that over time no matter what happens, "the single secret will still be man" (Cummings 602). And by saying this Cummings is trying to say that over time man has the same problems, but man never learns from them. Despite all these terribly wonderful things going on in the universe man is so absorbed in there own moment in the spotlight that they simply forget everything thing else. This stanza also gives us hint of summer.
The second stanza is about when fall and winter come along (these seasons often being associated with destruction, change, and death). Basically this is when man's choices come back to bite man in the butt. "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind" (602), is when everything that man has done is starting to cause terrible repercussions. At the end it mentions that "they shall cry hello to the spring" (602). Spring is a season of great change and new birth. A new chance.
Basically at the end Cummings talks about "a dawn of a doom of a dream" (602), which I interpreted to be a new nightmare suddenly arising, when suddenly something changes. Cummings says it is "[Blown] soon to never and never to twice" (602). This nightmare suddenly dies as everything starts to return to normal. Now this doesn't mean that Man still isn't dwelling on their moment in the spotlight yet. It means something terrible, this nightmare, has happened, and yet everyone has already forgotten about it. Cummings says "it sprinkles nowhere with me and you" (602). And by nowhere I think he means forgotten. All of this has happened and it has been forgotten because man no longer cares since it is no longer doing any harm to them.
Overall this poem relates to The Great Gatsby greatly because after all of the death and Gatsby's funeral, Jay is forgotten. He caused havoc with the Buchanans, but now that he is dead, Tom and even Daisy no longer seem to care about him. They're so caught up in their own spotlight they can't learn from all of these mistakes.
Hailey A. 2
2/20/2014 10:59:48 am
I noticed that the poem is completely related to Gatsby and his life in the story. At first the poem talks of time and how it can destroy "immortal stars" (Cummings 602). However, no matter how much time may take a toll on a person, it cannot take the fight away from the person to find hope. An example I found is Gatsby's never dying love for Daisy. In the end, it described the feeling of nothingness. I felt like each stanza told a part of Gatsby's story with Daisy, his endless hope of getting her back, and finally, in the end he is dead and is nothing to everyone around him.
Rachel VW period 5
2/20/2014 11:16:17 am
I think that each of the three stanzas relate very closely with Gatsby. In the first stanza, it talks about time and how time has the power to control aspects of your future, not just what's in the past. Cummings uses the line of destroying "immortal stars" (602) which again relates to the idea that with time change can come, however not Gatsby's love for Daisy. Gatsby's love for Daisy has out lasted life style changes, physical changes, emotional changes, you name it and his love is still there. In the second stanza Cummings talks about broken dreams, however this stanza ends with a glimmer of hope. It relates to Gatsby in the sense that Gatsby always kinda knew that Daisy had this better life and she left because he couldn't give that too her. His life was shattered, but his love gave him hope that someday she might return. The third and final stanza gives the reader a sense of nothingness. After Daisy basically leaves him for the second time Gatsby doesn't know what to do. His dreams are again broken and there is no longer the hope he had before. He is left with no feelings or emotions.
Amanna V (4)
2/20/2014 11:32:15 am
Rachel, I really like your perspective. I agree that the poem greatly describes Gatsby's life. I also agree that you can relate this poem with Gatsby and Daisy's relationship overall. Gatsby worked most of his life for his dream girl Daisy and to finally be worthy of her. However, he always had hope that she would return to him regardless of the state she was in. I think this false hope is what kept Gatsby dreaming about Daisy all this time and what lead the reader to establish the "sense of nothingness" within Gatsby when his one and only dream rejected him.
Chandler S. Period 5
2/20/2014 11:17:29 am
There is a little bit of Gatsby in this poem. The most specific part in y opinion is when the poem states "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind (blow pity to envy and soul to mind)". Gatsby had this sense of optimism in my opinion. Whenever Daisy is in trouble (specifically towards the end) he needs to be with her. His soul takes over his mind. He knows it is not the safest thing to do, but he does it anyways because he loves her. He blows hope to terror because even after the big climactic fight, Gatsby still has this hope that Daisy and Tom will separate and all will be well for Gatsby. This quote works well with the novel and the relationship between Gatsby and his emotional side. I think this poem has to be related towards a person's self respect in particular.
Amber H. p4
2/21/2014 12:15:45 am
I agree with you Chandler, Gatsby definitely wants to be with Daisy when she is in trouble, he let's his emotions get ahead of him. I completey agree with you that he still has hope that Daisy and Tom will separate and Daisy will go to him.
James J P:2
2/20/2014 11:18:57 am
For me, the lines that I especially saw Gatsby in were the first two of the third stanza, which say, "what if a dawn of a doom of a dream
bites this universe in two"(Cummings 17-18). Knowing that the topic of the third stanza is nothingness, I believe this really relates too Gatsby because, in chapter 8, after losing Daisy, Gatsby has no purpose. Throughout the past few years, Gatsby worked to become rich, dealt with the stress that comes with being a criminal, and endured hundreds rude people at his house every weekend all in order to get Daisy back. Until that point in chapter 8, Gatsby's whole life and purpose had been about Daisy; so when she left Gatsby's world was destroyed, and he was left with "nothingness".
Carl A. Period 5
2/20/2014 11:47:22 pm
I think you are right about Gatsby having no real purpose once Daisy was gone from his grasps. He did everything, from getting rich through shady business and throwing extravagant parties, all for the sake of getting Daisy back in his arms and fall back in love like they back in Louisville. His life was pointless and meaningless, like you said, if he couldn't have Daisy. Dreams should be achieved, but once that dream is shattered, one should not keep trying in vain.
Carissa C. P4
2/21/2014 11:06:55 am
I agree with you James. Gatsby did everything for Daisy and once he lost her, his purpose essentially wavered. I feel that Gatsby is clinging on too the past too much and prevents him from moving on.
Amanna V (4)
2/20/2014 11:21:56 am
I think this poem correlates a lot to the Great Gatsby. I think both the poem and the dream have a lot to do with dreams or goals that an individual strives to achieve. I believe that both pieces of literature deal a lot with uncompleted dreams (mostly the American dream). How the goals are so unrealistic and so far from reach that they turn into dreams. Gatsby "dreamed" of being rich and obtaining Daisy, a woman who is already married. This goal was too unrealistic that even Nick doubted Gatsby. In the poem, Cummings describe dreams such as these; getting the girl and wealth beyond imagination. In his poem, he stated "What if a dawn of a doom of a dream/bites this universe in two" (Cummings 602). When someone tries so hard to achieve a goal/dream and only this, the results are never pretty. I feel like Jay Gatsby himself wrote this poem based on his experiences with life in general.
Taylor D. 4
2/20/2014 11:27:36 am
I feel that one of the most important phrases that is in the poem that relates to Gatsby is the first stanza about a "summers lie". The novel took place in the summer and in the very beginning, Nick had said that everything was going to be different that summer. Lies are one of the biggest parts to the book. There are so many lies and secrets. Gatsby with his past and how he became the person he is. Gatsby also lied about the car accident to protect Daisy. Tom is one of the most obvious with him committing adultery with Myrtle, keeping it a secret from Daisy. Plus, Nick was sort of living a lie during this summer. He is usually a simple guy with a job and a few friends. This summer, he partied and drank more than he ever has in his life. He was pretending that he lived this extravagant lifestyle but in the end, it became too much for him.
Alayna D. Period 1
2/20/2014 11:30:45 am
The poem focuses on the theme of life and humanity. In the first stanza, it talks about time passing by while the natural world is changing as well. The second stanza explains how hopes and dreams can be destroyed. In the third stanza, it describes the ideas of nothingness, this relates to The Great Gatsby because when Nick saw, "The touch of a cluster of leaves revolved it slowly, tracing,... a thin red circle in the water"(Fitzgerald 162). Over time in the novel, even Nick's personality, his hopes and dreams were crushed after Gatsby's death and he is left in the realm of "nothingness".
Kyra J. Period 1
2/21/2014 08:50:41 am
I have to agree with you Alayna. The way you described the poem exactly mirrors the book. I did not realize that the ending stanza exactly explains the way Nick feels at the end. I also did not notice that the first stanza doesn't just focus on time. Like you pointed out, it also focuses on the changing world. The poem resembles the book's themes in all ways.
Yousuf A Period 5
2/20/2014 11:35:34 am
The poem describes humanity and life in many different ways. In the first stanza, it talks about time passing by while the natural world is changing at the same time. In the second stanza, it describes destroyed dreams and hopes, it states, "blow hope to terror" portraying that hope is shattered. Gatsby dreamed of being with Daisy and worked hard to achieve his goal of being wealthy to win her back. In the third stanza, it talks about the ideas of nothingness and it makes the reader think what lies in this "nothingness". Gatsby dreamed of being with Daisy and worked hard to achieve his goal of being wealthy to win her back. In the end it did not even matter.
Joe S. Period 1
2/22/2014 12:23:53 pm
I agree with your points on the descriptions of the stanzas. I like how you relate the examples to the meanings of the poem. "blow hope to error" does portray dreams and hopes being converted to the opposite.
Ryan Dowler Period 5
2/23/2014 10:16:23 am
I agree with what your are saying about how each stanza relates to Gatsby. The poem seemed to break down Gatsby's life in each stanza. The last stanza summarized it almost perfectly as it was all for nothing.
Melissa S. (Period 2)
2/20/2014 11:37:50 am
The first line of the poem really stuck out to me. It described The Great Gatsby perfectly. "What if a much of a which of a wind/gives the truth to summer's lie;/bloodies with dizzying leaves the sun/and yanks immortal stars awry?" The summer's lie would definitely be Gatsby and Daisy's rekindled relationship. Just like the summer, the relationship is nice for a while, but it will not last forever. Once the summer ends, everything beautiful and innocent is taken away. Gatsby's life is taken, Daisy chooses tome, and Jordan leaves Nick at the end.
Stephanie B; period 5
2/22/2014 02:40:54 pm
I really like the connection you made between the summer and Gatsby's and Daisy relationship -- the thought did not occur to me until I read your comment. I agree, the summer represents the beauty of Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. Summer is usually associated with a joyful and carefree time, like how Gatsby and Daisy are happy in their rekindled relationship. In one aspect, the love between them is innocent because the text shows they generally care about one other, but I believe their relationship cannot be completely innocent because of the fact Daisy is cheating on Tom. Either way, the relationship between them ends, indicating the end of the summer.
Kathryn P P2
2/20/2014 11:39:00 am
I think that the two pieces share a common theme, because both comment on human morals. The poem asks, "what if a dawn of a doom of a dream/ bites this universe into two,/ peels forever out of his grave/ and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?" (Ln 17-20). The point here is that humans take on a dream that we dwell on and it really starts a dawn of doom, instead. We become so focused on it that we tear our world apart, trying to achieve it. But the fact is that this will lead us nowhere and it will corrupt your world as it stands. This is similar to Gatsby trying to get Daisy to be with him again and it took over his life, killing him in the end.
Tyler Ken. 1
2/20/2014 11:43:48 am
What if a much of a which of a wind is detailed poem by EE cumming relates greatly to Jay Gatsby and the novel The Great Gatsby. The lines, " what if a much of a which of a wind gives the truth to summer's lie;
bloodies with dizzying leaves the sun
and yanks immortal stars awry?" could detail the distortion that Daisy still loves Gatsby, summer's lie. In second stanza, it is stated, "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees, it's they shall cry hello to the spring" represents the idea that one should face reality, the spring, and should help others see reality also. This could heavily relate to Nick's presence in the novel by being non judgemental of the main characters and never fears to tell people the truth such as when he told Gatsby he was acting like a child at Nick's house. In the third stanza the line, all nothing's only our hugest home;
the most who die, the more we live" could relate to Gatsby's legacy after death. Only 3 people came to Gatsby's funeal and even though Gatsby was a rich and popular man in his life, most of his associates and guests did not care for him and in death our true legacy is shown.
Monica E. Period 1
2/20/2014 11:49:37 am
I believe that the second line truly represents the novel The Great Gatsby. "...gives the truth to summer's lie"(Cummings 2). I believe that the wind is the hidden truth within the novel and that the summer is Daisy. The wind comes out at the end of the novel showing that all along Daisy was never a person to be trusted.
James J P:2
2/22/2014 11:53:03 am
I agree with you on the importance of the second line in relation to Gatsby, only because the events of the novel take place over the summer. Nick never truly finds the truth about the other characters in the novel, until it's end. By "the truth" I also mean fully understanding them. By the end of the novel Nick discovers that Tom is an egocentric man who will never change his ways, Daisy is actually a hypocrite,for she condemns Tom's affairs but then goes and cheats on him, and that Gatsby actually did come from humble origins, and earned his wealth through crime.
Jordan t. P4
2/23/2014 08:50:18 am
Although I grew I feel like it has to do with the changing of the season, and like so at the end of the novel Daisy is changed. Indeed she can't be trusted but then again what was she trusted with?
Hannah B P1
2/20/2014 11:51:00 am
The poem delivers three messages by being divided into different stanzas that each describe one important aspect in life. The first stanza describes Time, and the effects it has on the destruction and change of the natural world, but also assures us that the infinite complexity of man's soul can never be unraveled. The second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams, using words like "strangling" and "stifled" to describe dreams that were never completed. However, the final line, which says "it's they shall cry hello to spring", gives us hope that better times will come, as they always do. The final stanza describes the idea of nothingness. In this empty place life, death, and time are both nonexistent and infinite at the same time. The final line "the most who die, the more we live", makes me think that this idea could represent the afterlife, where souls exist in some unknown dimension. I feel the theme of the poem greatly apply to the Great Gatsby because we can see the emotional struggle Jay goes through with his desire for Daisy. The timing of their relationship is what first put everything at a halt; which completely shattered Gatsby. However, he does not give up the fight because he is hopeful. He fights and declares his love for as long as he can, until he no longer has the patience; the feeling of defeat leads to his downfall.
Becca K Period 4
2/22/2014 12:27:16 am
I really like how you connected the three ideas in the poem to Jay Gatsby's life. I agree that the poem describes time and the effects it has on the destruction of the natural world. This is relevant to the Great Gatsby, because Gatsby's timing was what ultimately lead to his downfall. He fell in love with Daisy at the wrong time, and tried to win her back when she was already in love with another man. Time was against him. I also agree with your idea that the second stanza represents crushed dreams from the words "strangling" and "stifled". Gatsbys experiences this after he realizes his dream of being with Daisy will never come true.
Jordan C 2
2/20/2014 11:53:07 am
I saw a definite theme that both the poem and the novel had in common and that was the thought that in a world nothing seems to be right. As said in the poem, "bites this universe in two" (Cummings 602) he tries to give hints throughout and with this especially is trying to really show that the world is divided. But not in an easy way it is rough and hard to get to one side or the other once in one spot that's where you are to stay. So it relates to The Great Gatsby as each character whether it's Daisy or Tom or even Gatsby they all came from one side or the other. Daisy and Tom were on one side with the wealth and the feeling of being invincible while on the other side there was those who started very poor and had to really work hard to live and that's how Gatsby started out. But Gatsby tried to work his way to the other side but was never actually able to fully grasp the other side to the full extent splitting him from the rest of the characters such as Daisy and Tom.
Bri D. Period 2
2/20/2014 11:53:14 am
Many parts of this poem can relate to Gatsby in a ton of ways. One of the ways specifically is when Cummings writes, "my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly," (Cummings 10). Gatsby had a great life, in my opinion. He didn't have a large impact on many people, but his life was fulfilled with adventure. He dedicated his life to getting Daisy to love him again, going through all of that trouble. But his life also ended suddenly when he was shot.
Paula R. Period 5
2/20/2014 11:59:15 am
Cummings' writes "what if a much of a which of a wind/
gives the truth to summer's lie" and it could be intrepreted that even the smallest things can change a big idea. In "The Great Gatsby", this can be found with Daisy and Gatsby. Once Daisy had discovered that Gatsby had become a wealthy and successful man, she wanted to be with him. Just the small thought of Gatsby being a different man from the poor soldier of the past, changed her perception of Gatsby and she knew that she wanted to be with Gatsby and not Tom. The first stanza also talks about the moving of "immortal stars", in the book the immortal stars can represent Tom and Daisy and the object moving these stars is Gatsby. Tom and Daisy are immortal because they're married, they're legally bound together and even though Tom cheated on Daisy with Myrtle, he had no intentions of leaving Daisy. It wasn't until Gatsby showed up in their life, that their life began to turn rocky. Gatsby had changed the way they lived, he caused a split between Tom and Daisy and even pulled Daisy away from Tom. In that way, I think Gatsby moved the two immortal stars.
Paulette D. period 5
2/23/2014 06:28:39 am
I liked the way you interpreted the poem and connected it with the novel, Paula. Though I don't think that Daisy wanted to be with Gatsby, because he was rich now. Daisy wants to be with Gatsby, because she realized that if she choose him in the first place, she would be at the same social status as she is now. The poem i think is about taking one extreme then going to another like rags to riches (Cummings). Gatsby went from being a simple soldier to a wealthy businessman in just a few years.
Renick W. 1
2/20/2014 12:00:50 pm
I think the common theme that is shared between the two works is that there is always a void in ones life. This is apparent by the line "all nothing's only our hugest home" (Cummings 602). Cummings is saying that humans live in a void and all we constantly do is try to fill these various empty spaces. Gatsby life is consumed by this effort to get Daisy back. He has the void and he thinks that Daisy will fill it but he never gets the chance to truly see if she was the necessary filler, due to Wilson murdering him.
Jimmy M P2
2/23/2014 12:42:24 pm
I totally agree with you. However I don't think that he saw Daisy as the person he needed to fill a void. She clearly would have filled it, but I don't think that that's how he saw it. He saw her as happiness. To him, she was literally objectified happiness. I think Fitzgerald was pointing out that we as humans will blindly follow what will make us happy. We will not understand what we're doing, or even begin to think of the consequences. I think Fitzgerald was trying to get us out of that state and trying to wake us up to see that what we tell ourselves we need isn't really what we need.
Elainie K 1
2/20/2014 12:01:12 pm
In reading this poem by E. E. Cummings, I found that some themes of "what if a much of a which of a wind" and "The Great Gatsby" closely relate. One that particularly stood out to me involved the last lines of the first stanza. Cummings says, "when skies are hanged and oceans drowned,/ the single secret will still be man" (Cummings 7-8). These lines focus on how much the foundation of the world relies on humans and how much of an impact men have in society. This is similarly a theme from "The Great Gatsby." Fitzgerald uses this novel to portray the falsehoods of human nature through the symbols and character development. Both of these literary works emphasize the lasting effects society has on the world.
Daisy O. Period 4
2/21/2014 06:38:05 am
I really like your idea of how the poem, “what if a much of a which of a wind”, and The Great Gatsby deal with a similar theme that reflects society. I think this poem does show the falseness of society with saying “the truth to summer’s lie.” This line shows how summer cannot last forever; it lies to us as society does. During the roaring 20s, society started to lose its morals and cared more about money, which led to its falseness. “I never care what I do, so I always have a good time” (37) is how society lived its life during this time period. People only cared about things that benefitted them, which was a cruel and harsh realization for Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. When no one showed up to Gatsby’s funeral, it shows how society stopped “caring” about a man who no longer gave them fun and money. Society is very fake and self-centered.
Jesse S. Period 4
2/20/2014 12:02:20 pm
The first stanza in the poem explains how we will never be able to understand the behavior of man. "When skies are hanged and oceans drowned, the single secret will still be man". I noticed a correlation between this quote of how we would never understand the types of behaviors Tom and Daisy display in the Great Gatsby. Tom and Daisy are able to continue their lives effortlessly despite the sins they committed. What appears to them as natural behavior is looked down upon by us. ( A society that is still able to maintain our spiritual and moral values.) The second stanza is where I see Jay Gatsby comes into play. "strangles valleys by ropes of thing and stifles forests in white ago?" The word choice such as valleys. We can associate valleys as religous, heaven, dreams, and so on. Then the words "stranges" and "stifles" implies a struggle within the valley. Such as how all the effort that Jay had put in to live the American Dream with daisy, was just utterly crushed. "blow hopes to terror; blow seeing to blind." The last stanza demonstrates the empty feeling in life, essentially nothing. "...a doom of a dream bites this universe in two. Peels forever out of his grave and sprinkles nowhere with me and you!" What we do on here on Earth will have no impact on the livng after were gone. As if we were non-existant. The death of Mrytle and Jay had no significance to Tom and Daisy.The lives of the deceased had no meaning, just as the life of the living (Tom and Daisy) are just as insignificant. Gatsby had a big heart, willing to take the blame for Daisy's selfles act of murder. "Whose hearts are mountains, roots are trees, it's they shall cry hello to th spring..."
Jennifer C. Period 1
2/20/2014 12:19:34 pm
I completely agree with you Jesse in the sense that Daisy and Tom are described in the poem. Daisy appeared as sweet and innocent, but changed by the end of the book when she betrays Gatsby and is partly responsible for his death. I also agree in your connection on how Myrtle and Jay had no impact on the Buchanans; “...they smashed up things and creatures and the retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, let other people clean up the mess they made...” (Fitzgerald 179). I do agree on how the poem, although confusing, is used to describe human nature.
Jelani P 2
2/20/2014 12:08:32 pm
Cummings poem starts off talking a lot about hope, but in the last stanza takes a contradicting turn towards a negative side of things. The relatable themes from the poem to the book are that some things seem too good to be true and it is foolish to fall for them. In the novel Gatsby and Daisy get closer and closer towards the end of the book and just as Daisy leaves Tom, we think that she truly loves Gatsby. In the end, after she is responsible for allowing him to die, we see through her façade for Gatsby’s wealth and realize that Gatsby was foolish to let his expired love envelop him.
2/20/2014 12:47:12 pm
♥
Trevor K 4
2/23/2014 12:55:48 pm
I agree that both the poem and the story deal with lost hopes and dreams. Gatsby builds his entire life for his one desire, Daisy. However, his dreams end up being his downfall. This is comparable to when Cummings says, "blow hope to terror, seeing to blind." The hope that he will end up with Daisy is met with terror, or his death. Gatsby's love makes him blind to everything else about his situation. The wind in the poem represents the reality that Gatsby refuses to acknowledge.
Zak D Period 2
2/20/2014 12:08:44 pm
I found that each stanza relates to Gatsby in every way. The first stanza talks of time's power and how it can destroy "immortal stars" "Cummings 602). Gatsby's constant determination to get Daisy. Time after time he struggles to obtain a relationship with Daisy. The second stanza talks about broken dreams but there is always hope. Gatsby's hope towards getting Daisy is always there. The last stanza described nothingness. Each stanza represents a facet of Gatsby's life. The three stanzas are major details about James Gatsby's life and Cummings explains those details throughout his poem.
Jennifer C. Period 1
2/20/2014 12:10:35 pm
The overall theme that is expressed throughout E. E. Cummings’s “What if a much of a which of a wind poem” is time. I felt that each stanza describe something associated with time, especially the idea of change. This is also described in Fitzgerald’s novel as we are slowly introduced to the character Gatsby. Unlike many other novels, we do not learn everything about each character during the introduction; in fact, readers don’t get a complete sense of Gatsby and his intentions until much later. Gatsby describes a mysterious past that includes Daisy and how his goal is to be reunited with her; however, that does not happen. Given the descriptions of the past from some of the characters, we can see how much the characters have changed, especially the Buchanans, who appear in Cummings’s poem as “Blow king to beggar and queen in seem (blow friend to fiend...” (Cummings 602). Gatsby is surrounded in his house of riches, however Daisy betrays him in the end although their past together would suggest otherwise.
Riley S. P2
2/20/2014 12:15:18 pm
The las stanza of the poem really stands out to me, " what if a dawn of a doom of a dream
bites this universe in two,
peels forever out of his grave
and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?
Blow soon to never and never to twice
(blow life to isn't; blow death to was)
-all nothing's only our hugest home;
the most who die, the more we live". I read this and think of Gatsby's idea that even though the world is terrible, I have Daisy so it's okay. He just believes that everything is going to be ok, that if we keep reliving the past and don't think about the future than no bad things will ever come to him. The poem is however stating that life moves on, people die, but that is more space for the living then. The universe has peeled back forever, giving every human being a limited life span. Gatsby wanted to live in a fantasy forever. Unfortunately this is not the case.
Haley M period 4
2/20/2014 12:23:24 pm
This poem is about holding on to a dream. Sometimes the dream is held on for too long and even the person with the dream knows it will never be possibly anymore. "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind" (E. E. Cummings 13). This relates to Gatsby holding on to his dream to one day be with Daisy. I'm sure Gatsby knew deep down that Daisy would never leave Tom but he keep his hope. His hope soon faded and he knew his dream was gone. Like the poem the dream soon faded.
Hannah B P1
2/23/2014 01:54:10 am
Haley, I agree with your ideas! Jay remains hopeful throughout the novel because he has a positive outlook on life, even when his dream is nearly impossible. However, he did wait too long to declare his love for Daisy and as always, reality crushes his desire. The realization of his loss leads to his downfall as a spirited man.
Ammara A
2/20/2014 12:23:25 pm
There was a mutual theme between the poem and Gatsby. Their themes are destruction of humanity. Cumming uses personafication like wind and snow to exemplify the emptiness and at the end they both relate to the idea of nothingness and emptiness. The last stanza was about life and death. Its makes you ponder ideas about hope, life, time or infinity and humans in general in both pieces.
Tyler Kol. 5
2/20/2014 12:23:47 pm
The wind in the poem is symbolic for an unchanging, unalterable force. We as humans cannot control the path of wind, as it may push us and control our movements. We may attempt to avoid it, to protect ourselves against it, but in the end, if the force is strong enough, it controls the path of a person. this is shown as the wind “yanks immortal stars awry”(Cummings). This overwhelming force to me relates to Gatsby’s love for Daisy. The idea that wind can push stars out of view seems like an impossible task, yet one could say the same thing about winning back a woman who has left Gatsby’s life for five years. The wind stands for Gatsby’s love, forcing him to complete all measures in order to win back the love of Daisy.
Jake S 4
2/20/2014 12:37:04 pm
The most significant part of the poem to me was the first stanza when the author wrote that time was able to destroy anything including “immortal stars” (Cummings 602). This stuck with me because it made me almost immediately think of the description that Nick gave of Gatsby towards the end of the book, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us"(Fitzgerald 180). Both these lines are related in their message to the reader which is as time moving on, anything that a person can do to prevent it won’t make a difference. The “immortal stars” was a great reference because stars are an example of something that will never be outlived by a human and is nearly immortal. Yet time will still find a way to destroy them. This goes back to Gatsby because he believed in the green light and that Daisy would come back to him. However, as time went on that idea became less and less likely until his inevitable death.
Daisy O. Period 4
2/20/2014 12:45:39 pm
The poem “what if a much of a which of a wind” by E.E. Cummings deals with the struggle of dreams and goals. In the second stanza the “blow hope to terror” part is representing a similar theme to Gatsby. Gatsby always struggled with his dreams (“boats against the current”). He was a very hopeful person who believed that “tomorrow we will run faster [and] stretch our arms farther” (136). However, some things are left in the past and cannot be redeemed.
Julia C. p2
2/20/2014 11:02:05 pm
Daisy I agree with you that Gatsby is very hopeful and always trys to achieve his goals even though they were are hard to achieve. I also think that he waited to long to try and reconnect with Daisy. His hopes and dreams ended once he was murdered by Wilson.
Daniella A P4
2/21/2014 02:11:39 am
I agree with you, Daisy. I think that this poem really defines his life throughout each stanza. I think the quote you pulled out was a good one because it does explain how he was very optimistic. With Daisy, there was no fixing that, and you're right, it could not be redeemed.
Tyler Kol. 5
2/23/2014 12:47:57 pm
Daisy I completely agree with you that the wind has symbolic meaning. To me the wind in the poem is symbolic for an unchanging, unalterable force. We as humans cannot control the path of wind as it pushes us. We may attempt to avoid it, to protect ourselves against it, but in the end, if the force is strong enough, it controls the path of a person. This is shown as the wind “yanks immortal stars awry” (Cummings). The idea that wind can push stars out of view seems like an impossible task, yet one could say the same thing about winning back a woman who has left Gatsby’s life for five years. The wind stands for Gatsby’s love, forcing him to complete all measures in order to win back the love of Daisy. No matter how much he tries to forget his past, he is ultimately pushed by memories to stay committed to Daisy after 5 years.
Matt C 1
2/20/2014 12:52:06 pm
The theme that I saw in "what if a much of a which of a wind," was time. There are many lines that are associated with time. Some of these go along with the theme of Gatsby. Gatsby is obsessed with getting back together with Daisy, even if it takes forever. The novel is also about learning from one's past, which is also seen in the poem. It says, "the most who die, the more we live" (Cummings line 24). Nick says something similar at the end of the novel that means that he can learn from what happened to Gatsby. Nick can learn from Gatsby's life and his experiences, but he must not dwell on the past.
Scott A 5th
2/23/2014 11:35:03 am
I agree with your views on how the poem relates to the Great Gatsby. I think that Gatsby has ran out of time to get Daisy back. He dwells on the past and believes things will go back to the way thedy were. I like how you stated that Nick can learn from Gatsby in a way, Nick can take away a lot from Gatsby's life.
Chris B 5
2/20/2014 12:55:52 pm
I thought that the poem and the novel share similaritys on more ways then one. In the poem Cummings says "all nothing's only our hugest home; the most who die, the more we live" which is an almost direct relation to gatsby he has the hugest home but even though he threw huge parties he was never really living. Once he finally started living was when he met Daisy but then it got almost to real when myrtle and then gatsby died.
Anna W. 1st
2/20/2014 12:57:02 pm
This poem very much resembles the entire "life goes on" concept that I think is prevalent throughout The Great Gatsby. The part that states, "all nothing's only our hugest home; the most who die, the more we live," seems to be parallel to the way a number of people reacted to Jay Gatsby's death. He was this extremely wealthy person, but he never got to know many people, so it seems as if all that he left behind were his wealth (like his home). Also, after Gatsby's death people moved on, quickly. Relating to the "the more we live," Gatsby dies, but everyone just seems to brush it aside and lives their lives the way they were without him. I believe that the poem suggests that people's lives are better. We don't necessarily get this information from the text, but I do believe that most of these characters go through living as if Gatsby never existed, because eventually they may forget he did.
Kevin H
2/20/2014 01:09:01 pm
I think a theme that they both demonstrate is that the significance of life is shown through death. For example, Gatsby was rich and had all the money he could ever want, but he did not make true personal connections with people, and his life was almost seen as insignificant upon the time of his death, because no one cared about him enough to remember who he was. I think that this is also a theme of the poem because of the last line, it says "the most who die, the more we live" I think this is looking at the same concept, only in a different light. In Gatsby, I think that it is showing how the lack of significance or meaning of his life was exposed through his death. Whereas what the poem is saying is that when people die, they fade away into nothing, which makes life in general more significant.
Lyssa L. P4
2/20/2014 01:10:33 pm
The second stanza is mainly about shattered hopes and dreams. Using words like "strangling" and "stifled" to describe dreams that were never completed. This relays directly to the theme of Gatsby, how one faces many challenges of humanity and setbacks while striving for his or her dreams, and must hope for them until the last breath just like Gatsby did. To describe this further, the line in the first stanza that says "summers lie" is referring to something that I know many of us high school kids can relate to, wishing and feeling like that summer could last forever but realizes it has to come to an end, just like hopes, dreams, and life. In the final stanza, It talks of how nothing is "our hugest home". Nothing is what is not new, is not modern, and is not claimed. It what has yet to become as well as what has been forgotten. Nothing is our largest home because our home is infinitive. One may truly never know how much will become or how many more advancements there will be. The more generations the world goes through, the more the world develops. In other words, "the most who die, the more we live" Cummings 602). This relates to Gatsby because after his death, Nick transforms and realize many things about life and essentially lives stronger after Gatsby's death because of the knowledge and friendship he gained.
Mackenzie K. period 1
2/22/2014 02:34:40 am
I agree with you completely. I like how you broke down the poem by stanza and related it to Gatsby and the book. The way you explained it, brought up some very good points. It also became obvious as to how similar the 2 are. I especially like how you said that our homes are infinite. We do not have a set amount of places where we can feel at home. I also like how you related the poem to teenagers today. Everyone can relate to wanting it to be summer. Especially now with the weather and all of the influences. We can also see, which you brought up, that the world changes with every baby born. As the world ages, it becomes more advanced because we are learning each and every day. As Nick gets older, he learns about life, because of Gatsby.
Casey D 4
2/20/2014 01:15:11 pm
I think that the wind in the poem "what if a much of a which of a wind" symbolizes death. In the poem the wind "blow[s] life to isn't' and "gives the truth to summer's lie" (E.E Cumming). Summer represents life and warmth yet summer does not last forever, just as life does not last forever, where as death exposes the lie that this state of well being is eternal, bring with it coldness i.e. the winter. In this poem death is also the great equalizer. The wind "blow[s] king to beggar and queen to seem" (E.E. Cummings), showing that while wealth may seem important to the living, in the end all people will meet the same fate, whether one be a queen or a beggar. This relates to message of The Great Gatsby since Gatsby's fame and fortune means nothing to him or anyone else once he dies. He spends his whole life amassing wealth and a high social standing, yet in the end it does not affect Daisy's feelings towards him, just as money does not affect the dead.
Chris Q 1
2/23/2014 08:51:14 am
This is an interesting take on the two. I like how you explained that wealth leaves you in the end and that everyone, rich or poor, meets the same fate.
Kelly B P1
2/20/2014 01:15:53 pm
Both the poem and the story both share a common theme that values time. Throughout the story Gatsby's life revolves around time. He lives for the future by re recreating the past. However this never allowed for him to live in the present and suddenly his life came to an abrupt end without having ever succeeded in his intimate goal; getting Daisy back. Similar to the poem when it states: "my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly," (Cummings 10). This goes along with Gatsby's death. That time is constantly running out and if one does not take care of it then one day it will all suddenly be gone. Similar to what happened to Gatsby.
Lyssa L. P4
2/23/2014 09:42:37 am
Very intelligent take on the idea of theme between the two poems. I completely agree that both are concerned with time and how Gatsby was so worried about the past he never lived in the present because he didn't even care about his wealth or possessions, just that they would bring him Daisy and his past. The message of the poem is the same, that one should take advantage of the time in the present because of how short life is. Especially with the line, "summer's lie" enhances the theme because summer always feels like it will be infinite or at least everyone wishes it was, but it is a mear illusion because all good things come to an end like life. Good job Kelly :)
Jimmy M P2
2/20/2014 01:19:43 pm
I think each stanza relates to Gatsby in its own way. The first stanza talks about time's power and how it can destroy "immortal stars" "Cummings 602) but at the same time it can not break down a mans soul. I took this as Gatsby's endless love for Daisy and how it could never be broken. The second stanza talks about broken dreams mainly, but at the end of it there is hope. It reminded me of how Gatsby always hoped that one day he could be with Daisy again. The last stanza described nothingness. I felt like each stanza told a part of Gatsby's story, from his time away from Daisy to his seemingly empty death.
Trevor K 4
2/20/2014 01:23:47 pm
I think that the themes of the poem and novel relate because both of them deal with lost time. This is shown in the quote, "what if much of a which of a wind gives truth to a summers lie." I think that that summers lie represents that something will last forever. This is relatable to Daisy and Gatsby's relationship because the love seemed so real, but "the wind" or time apart from each other ruined the "summers lie." I also think that that the poem is similar to Gatsby because it sheds light on a lost hope. The quote, "Blow hope to terror; blow seeing to blind (blow pity to envy and soul to mind)" shows that reality is that our hopes and desires (Gatsby's love for Daisy) cannot always be fulfilled and that reality sets in.
Kathryn P P2
2/23/2014 08:54:22 am
Trevor, I agree that these pieces do have a theme of lost time. Both talking of summer and the stories of it, some lies and others truths. The wind during the summer comes and goes, just like time. I also agree with your statement on lost hope. Hope that is lost to those who envy it and are blind when they don't keep it in their soul. Those are the themes that truly matter between the two pieces.
Casey D 4
2/23/2014 01:32:40 pm
I agree with your statement that a summer's lie represents the illusion of eternity, that good things will last forever. This summer's lie can be related to the lie of the 1920s and the sense that the American Dream and all the new found wealth would last forever. But just as summer has to end, so did this era, as 1929 brought the crash of the stock market and the beginning of the Great Depression. Although Fitzgerald may not have predicted the economic side of the Great Depression, he did implicate that selfish society, as described in the Great Gatsby though the East Egg, could not last forever.
Jordan C 5
2/20/2014 01:31:07 pm
Gatsby's theme having to do with the green light and wanting something more is what seems to relate to this poem. The fact that no one can ever be happy, or that someone can have so much and feel so little relates to one of the very last stanzas in the poem, "--all nothing's only our hugest home;/ the most who die, the more we live." This quote (in my opinion), basically is saying that we can have so much in life and still be so unhappy, and sometimes it seem the best way to live is to die (perhaps in an afterlife). To experience something new is what can make one happy. Not just having money or a big house or lots of friends. Gatsby had all that, but he was still unhappy. In the end he dies, but we have to infer that wherever he is has to be better than the life he previously lived, just as the poem explains.
Zak D Period 2
2/23/2014 12:32:47 pm
I agree with you Jordan. Gatsby's unhappiness stems from his lack of relationships with people. The fact that no one went to his funeral except for Nick shows that he didn't have those relationships. Cummings' poem, represents this side of Gatsby and it exemplifies his unhappiness from his inability to be sociable to those. His hope for one thing to happen kept him unhappy.
Andrea B period 2
2/20/2014 01:33:56 pm
I think both the poem and the story share the theme of fear of running out of time. That's a common theme throughout the novel, like how Gatsby is afraid of running out of time with Daisy. It is present in the poem as will, worrying about different things that could happen to the earth or the people living on it.
Brenda N. 4
2/20/2014 01:58:49 pm
I love your idea on how Gatsby is afraid of time running out. I did not notice that much, but now that you mention it, it does make a lot of sense. He was always pushing Nick to get Daisy to notice him and his house as quick as possible when he first met Nick.
Renick W. 1
2/24/2014 11:49:49 am
I completely agree, with how the clock is a symbol in chapter five, Gatsby is afraid of running out of time. I didn't pick it up in the poem, but looking back now I completely see what you mean.
Alyssa Z. period 4
2/20/2014 01:42:23 pm
The poem was divided into three stanzas and the second stanza describes shattered hopes and dreams, using words like "strangling" and "stifled" to describe dreams that were never completed. The final line, which says "it's they shall cry hello to spring", gives us hope that better times will come, as they always do. I think that this resembles Gatsby due to how the reasoning behind all his desires of becoming wealthy and having a huge house filled with parties by the bay was becuase of Daisy. Through all his attempts and even after his death, Daisy claims to have loved him but yet leaves after his death as if nothing happened in order to continue on with life. Gatsby tried and tried to re-create the relationship that him and Daisy had before she met Tom, but that dream was not just hattered, I don't think it was ever truly meant to come true.
Brenda N. 4
2/20/2014 01:56:23 pm
The poem is split in three stanzas that describes time, shattered hopes and dreams, and the idea of nothingness. In the first stanza when it says, "gives the truth to summer's lie," it references how through time, the truth will come out and that time changes everything. That remind me of Gatsby's time in the army and how that changes his relationship with Daisy and himself as a person. Daisy chooses another man and Gatsby creates another man of himself. The theme here is how time changes people. This is emphasized with the 2nd stanza's shattered hopes and dreams, but the next line, "it's they shall cry hello to the spring" that brings hope that time can get better.
TJ A. period 2
2/21/2014 10:46:13 am
It's a little cliche but that idea of the time changing everything does make sense. In the beginning, Gatsby was just a driven young man with many dreams and aspirations who falls in love with Daisy. But as time passes, he realizes that he must change in order to be with her. So he usurps his old lifestyle in favor of that of a wealthy aristocrat. Just as time, "gives the truth to summer's lie", the 5 years away from Daisy allowed Gatsby to make his dreams reality.
Josh S. 5
2/20/2014 01:57:48 pm
The poem and the novel are very similar. Both this poem and The Great Gatsby focus on the idea of lost hope and lost time. Fitzgerald expresses with Gatsby that the past could be repeated. Also the loss of time is evident in the E.E Cummings poem, "...wind / gives truth to summer's lie." Too much time had passed for Gatsby and he lost his opportunity. I think part of this poem has to do with how the universe is always changing.For example, when Gatsby met Daisy again her life changed to being a little less superficial. James Gatz is described in the poem where "skies are hanged and oceans drowned." He changed Daisy's world.
Ambreen M (Period 1)
2/20/2014 01:59:55 pm
The poem and the book share quite a few similarities within each other however one certain point stuck out to me the most. the theme which was most relevant within the poem is the identity of time. At first the poem talks of time and how it can destroy "immortal stars" (Cummings 602) and in the book this reminds me of Gatsby's unconditional love for Daisy and how he would do anything for her.
TJ A. period 2
2/20/2014 08:23:26 pm
The two themes relate because they both relate because they both concern the connection of man and ambitions. Just as Gatsby was at times overly-ambitious, the poem is filled with a slew of 'what ifs' and speculation. It describes the winds doing so many wondrous things but it is all just speculation. Just as Gatsby went through all that trouble to catch this American dream of his to have Daisy but in the end, it was all but ambition and he loses what he strove for most.
Nadim k. Period 2
2/20/2014 10:28:12 pm
Both the story and the poem are very relatable. The poem and The great gatsby both have one relatable theme which revolves around the loss of time. In the Great Gatsby, gatsby seems to want to go back in time and fix his mistakes and being their when he wasn't. In the poem, we are also given a passage about the loss of time and how it could never be retrieved.
Costa D 2
2/20/2014 10:29:53 pm
"The most who die, the more we live". This quote relates to gatsbys death and Nicks idea about not judging until given a chance. Unfortetly someone has to die first on order to learn a life lesson.
Costa D. (period 2)
2/21/2014 01:07:22 am
EXTENSION:
Gatsby was the unfortunate one who had to die in order to see a relevance in the American dream. The poem covers many aspects of The Great Gatsby but most importantly, the last line. It ties in a man's motives and ambitions along with where he ended up as a result. This idea also stems from Gatsby's rough time of getting Daisy and his misfortunes through the way the winds and tides are uneasy throughout the poem.
Mark M Period 5
2/20/2014 10:46:37 pm
I'm not sure if this poem was designed to represent the themes and characters in the Great Gatsby because it does such a good job of representing the book in a poem. The quote from the poem, "what if a dawn of a doom of a dream bites this universe in two" refers to Gatsby throwing away all other people in his life just to make rue Daisy is happy, which in the end causes his own demise.
Ashlee P. 5
2/21/2014 09:40:03 am
The first line of the poems really sticks out to me, especially the, "summer's lie," part. When summer rolls around, especially in places that experience other seasons, it's paradise. Summer is almost too good to be true. I feel like that relates back to Daisy and Gatsby. Gatsby had to go through so many obstacles in order to have a mansion across the lake from Daisy and even have the courage to speak to her. When they are finally reunited and for those days when she secretly came to visit him, and they were happy again it is almost too good to be true. I think Daisy understands this too, even before she reconnects with Gatsby when she says to Nick, "I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool," (Fitzgerald e-reader).
Jordan t. P.4
2/23/2014 08:44:56 am
I feel the poem relates to Gatsby I. A sen e that both represent the changing in society and world itself. Like a journey. I like how the poem states "...,the more we live" (ln.25). I feel this relates to Gatsby the most because though the end was of death they each individual lived. Throughout the novel Gatsby try's to live such a great life, and Tom try's to live his life both in different ways but to each they lived the best they think they can. I like how this statement shows the change in society as well people are trying to live before they die and the more they die the more they live because they realize that there isn't a forever, life is the longest thing we have.
Imani B. 5
2/23/2014 09:56:37 am
I thought that the beginning of the poem related to broken dreams and a loss of hope in the Great Gatsby from "what if a much of a which of wind gives truth to a summer's lie". I thought that related to how Gatsby's dreams had been broken when he lost his opportunity to be with Daisy due to all the time between when he first loved her, to be reunited with her. Throughout the story he was trying to fix the broken pieces of the the love that was once there but couldn't do it in the end. The last stanze says, "What if a dawn of a doom of a dream bites this universe in two, peels forever out of his grave and sprinkles nowhere with me and you?" I think that it relates to Gatsby realizing that he couldn't get to where he wanted to go to rebuild his love and giving up hope.
Richard W. Period 5
2/23/2014 02:20:29 pm
Both the poem and the novel relate through lines thst represent Gatsby's life. I thought that in the peom where it says "the single secret wil still be a man" represents Gatsby's actions. He tried so hard to impress Daisy in order for her to love him again but in the end he ended up alone and dead. The poem also stated "blow hope to terror." This also relates to Gatsby beacuse all he really wanted was to be close to Daisy, however, I don think he ever thought that it would result in his death.
Mahia P - Per. 1
2/24/2014 10:43:27 am
The poem and the novel are related to each other because they both discuss the concepts of the loss of hope and the loss of time. The loss of time is seen in the relationships in the novel - between Daisy and Gatsby. They had a relationship at one point, and then with time, they moved on. However, they ended up reuniting again. The loss of hope is seen somewhat with Gatsby's dreams. He has plans that he does not get to live out. That is how the poem and the novel are related.
Caleb S, Period 5
2/25/2014 11:54:18 am
I think the theme from the Great Gatsby and from the poem could be about time. And how time affects the world. In the novel time affects Gatsby because he relied on time. He was always waiting for Daisy and him to be reunited. There is multiple times where he looks back in time, on all the good moments they he and Daisy had. Gatsby’s dreams relate to the 2nd stanza of the poem. Gatsby dreams of this extravagant life with Daisy and does what ever it takes to get it. But in the process he is killed which makes his dreams go to pieces. In the 3rd stanza I feel like it mentions emptiness and having nothing in life. Gatsby feels like he has nothing and is empty without Daisy in his life.
Ryan C 4
2/26/2014 04:03:38 am
A line that sticks out to me is "blow king to beggar and queen to seam" This talks about Gatsby's life (though it is reversed from what happened to him) Where he was born with little money, but rose to become a self-made billionaire. He is later brought down to the level of the beggar again when nobody attends his funeral, which shows that though he had nearly every material possession someone could ever want, he did not have many true friends or family members that cared about him
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