Analysis of the Characteristics of E.E. Cummings' Poetic Creation from the Perspective of Foregrounding Theory

Hong Chen

doi:10.54097/995dmk57

Authors

Hong Chen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/995dmk57

Keywords:

E.E. Cummings, Foregrounding, Deviation, Characteristics of Poems

Abstract

As a representative of modernist poet, Cummings has a unique style in poetic creation. His bold innovation in poetic language strengthens the visual effect of poetry and broadens the meaning of poetry. Cummings boldly challenges people's traditional perception of poetry, breaking the original limitations in all aspects of language, forming a strong and eccentric personal style. His poetry is often the subject of study for linguists. Based on the foregrounding theory in stylistics, this paper attempts to analyze Cummings’s visual poems from graphological deviation, lexical deviation and semantic deviation, as well as the effects that these unconventional linguistic patterns have achieved, thereby excavating the aesthetic value and discovering the basic characteristics of Cummings' poetic creation.

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