WE'RE BACK, this time with senior Linda Song reciting the e.e. cummings poem "next to of course god america i." Inspired by this unusual and wacky poem, we have decided to devote the rest of the week to publishing other poems related to patriotism and fighting in wars.

This illustrates just another method in which poetry written decades ago can relate to our lives today. We want to publish war-related poetry in the hope that by reading it, you can try and understand our current military situation in a different light and from perhaps another perspective.

So it's time to put down that biology homework and push aside the calculus book and instead exercise the right side of our brains by understanding the images and the emotions that reading poetry evokes.

“NEXT TO OF COURSE GOD AMERICA I”
by e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

"next to of course god america i
love you land of the pilgrims' and so forth oh
say can you see by the dawn's early my
country 'tis of centuries come and go
and are no more what of it we should worry
in every language even deafanddumb
thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry
by jingo by gee by gosh by gum
why talk of beauty what could be more beaut-
iful than these heroic happy dead
who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter
they did not stop to think they died instead
then shall the voice of liberty be mute?"

He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water

Like what you read? Click here for more poems by e.e. cummings.