anyone lived in a pretty how town

 

 

Written by e.e. cummings

Illustrated by: tasha dee wardell

 

 

anyone lived in a pretty how town

(with up so floating many bells down)

 

spring summer autumn winter

he sang his didn't he danced his did

 

 

 

Women and men(both little and small)

cared for anyone not at all

they sowed their isn't they reaped their same

sun moon stars rain

 

 

 

children guessed(but only a few

and down they forgot as up they grew

 

autumn winter spring summer)

that noone loved him more by more

 

 

 

when by now and tree by leaf

she laughed his joy she cried his grief

bird by snow and stir by still

anyone's any was all to her

 

 

 

someones married their everyones

laughed their cryings and did their dance

(sleep wake hope and then)they

said their nevers they slept their dream

 

 

 

 

stars rain sun moon

(and only the snow can begin to explain 

how children are apt to forget to remember

with up so floating many bells down)

 

 

 

one day anyone died i guess

(and noone stooped to kiss his face)

busy folk buried them side by side

little by little and was by was

 

 

 

all by all and deep by deep

and more by more they dream their sleep

noone and anyone earth by april

wish by spirit and if by yes.

 

 

 

Women and men(both dong and ding)

summer autumn winter spring

reaped their sowing and went their came

sun moon stars rain

 

 

The poem “anyone lived in a pretty how town” was actually written in 1940, but since E.E. Cummings was born in 1894 I decided to create illustrations that reflect two different types of early twentieth century art; traditional and modern. Every illustration that deals with the townspeople is supposed to look like an etching. Since the townspeople are stuck in their ways and are threatened by Anyone’s innovative style, they are still influenced by the Victorian era. Also, etchings were popular in the 19th and 20th century because they could be easily reproduced. Unfortunately this also means that they are not unique, which is a sad characteristic of the townspeople. Meanwhile, all of the illustrations for Anyone are more modern, somewhat influenced by Mondrain (but not quit De Stijl) and Picasso (but not true Cubism). I’ve never really done anything “modern” before and so that presented an interesting challenge. Like Anyone and Noone, modern art is a reaction against all things tradition and are not easily replicated.

The first illustration is about the “how town,” and it introduces the townspeople as bells. Throughout my illustrations I took the Victorian-style dress but made them all bell-shaped, because they are bellswho are down, and therefore not living up to their potential. These illustrations, and all of the townspeople’s illustrations, are black and white, bleak, and spiritless. When I first began the illustrations I was trying to decide which stanzas I wanted to illustrate. E. E. Cummings is such a word smith and there are so many fantastic lines in this poem I wanted to try and draw exactly what he said. That was a mistake. One thing that I have learned illustrating my own stories is that images should never detract from what is written. However, they can bring something that words cannot and vice versa. So for the lines, “anyone lived in a pretty how town/(with up so floating many bells down)” I simply drew what I thought a typical Victorian city would look like with people wandering around shaped like bells.

The next illustration is of Anyone himself. When it comes to art I’m not inclined to strive for realism per se, but I’ve also never done anything too abstract either. My specialty is in stylized art where it’s not realistic, but the subject is still easily recognizable (hopefully). To be honest, my first thoughts of modern art are; crazy colors, Picasso, and geometric angles. So it’s not surprising that Anyone turned out the way he did. The colors represent life to me, but it’s up to the viewer to analyze anything further than basic aesthetics which is what I mostly focused on. One aspect of my “style” is to have my subjects close their eyes. I am a highly introspective person and I feel that I manifest that part of myself in my art. Anyone has one eye closed to represent that he is aware of himself and his thoughts but the other eye is open to show that he is also aware of the world around him.

Going back to the Victorian prints, we find out that the townspeople despise anyone. First of all, the Victorian townspeople do not have heads. I realized that they are not only fallen bells, but they are empty shells. I decided to show their distaste for anyone at an art showing. The art works are imitations of works Mondrain and the portrait of Anyone himself. During the 20th century, many modern artists were not well received by the public because they were so different, like Anyone was shunned by the townspeople. A side note; Going back to the point I made about over-illustrating, there are also a few stanzas throughout the poem that I did not think required any picture.

So after the illustration-free stanza about the children, we are finally introduced to Noone. Noone is a head portrait like Anyone, done in basically the same style with the use of bright colors and geometric shapes with one eye opened, one eye closed for the same reason. She also has a heart on her chest with Anyone’s name written on it.

The next illustration depicts, “someones married their everyones/laughed their cryings and did their dance/(sleep wake hope and then) they said their nevers they slept their dream.” I decided to do a bell-family portrait that forever freezes these people in time since they are unable—or unwilling—to accomplish their goals in life.

Flipping back to Noone and Anyone is the stanza that reads, “one day anyone died i guess/(and no one stooped to kiss his face)/ busy folk buried them side by side/little by little and was by was.” In this illustration I framed the two in a coffin, representing their death. I also morphed Anyone’s and Noone’s face together showing Noone’s kiss and side-by-side burial simultaneously.

 In my analysis of the poem, I came to the conclusion that in the end the townspeople were influenced by Anyone after all, like most artists, he was ahead of his time and it took his death for people to wake up and appreciate him. Even though the townspeople are not exceptional and original like Anyone and Noone, they finally live up to their potential and are able to ring the way bells are supposed to.

The cover is supposed to be Anyone’s house in the “how town.” It’s somewhat of a combination of the two types of illustrations because it is a Victorian house but the colors and geometrical shapes that characterize Anyone. There is also a ringing bell on the roof that represents the admirable accomplishment that the townspeople are finally able to make at the end of the poem by living up to their potential, thanks to Anyone’s influence.

Overall this project brought me so much joy. It was frustrating at times because I had to redo each of the illustrations at least once but it was all worth it in the end. I now have such a special spot in my heart for this poem and it has inspired me to live my life to the fullest and make sure that I’m a bell that keeps on ringing.

 

p.s. This is the project that my professor asked if he could buy the original illustrations. No one has ever wanted to buy my work before and I really respect him, so it was literally the best compliment I have ever been paid. His class was a literary analysis English class and I have a really hard time participating so I didn't say much. He was always really encouraging of my work. Then when I presented this in class, everyone was so sweet. Actually, I got a lot of back-handed compliments, people not believing that I did them, and saying they were shocked that I was an artist. Ha. I love it. Those kind of compliments are so genuine. ;) One girl said that if she was a publisher, she would make it into a book. Comments like that make it all worth it.
p.s. I'm graduating college on Tuesday!! What the what?? This semester has been really intense but leaving will be bittersweet.

p.s.s. My excuse for posting such a long post is because I haven't written in months. So, there it is. ;p