“anyone lived in a pretty how town” originally appeared as “No. 29” in E. E. Cummings’s 1940 collection 50 poems. The poem describes a community in which everyone generally keeps to themselves. The townspeople progress through life in a familiar, socially-expected pattern—growing up, getting married, raising a family—in hopes of finding success. Amidst such monotony, a man named anyone finds true love and companionship with a woman named noone. Through their story, the speaker explores such subjects as the pressure to conform and the power of meaningful relationships. Repeating phrases appear throughout the poem, highlighting both the indifference of the natural world and the unchanging routines that the townspeople cycle through generation after generation.
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The Full Text of “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
The Full Text of “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Summary
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Themes
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Community, Conformity, and Isolation
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-36
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Love and Anonymity
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 5-36
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The Power and Indifference of Nature
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 1-5
- Lines 7-8
- Line 11
- Lines 13-16
- Lines 21-36
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Parents and Children
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 9-12
- Lines 22-24
- Lines 33-36
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Time and Life Cycles
Where this theme appears in the poem:- Lines 3-4
- Lines 7-8
- Lines 10-11
- Lines 13-15
- Lines 17-36
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
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Lines 1-4
anyone lived in ...
... danced his did. -
Lines 5-8
Women and men(both ...
... moon stars rain -
Lines 9-12
children guessed(but only ...
... more by more -
Lines 13-16
when by now ...
... all to her -
Lines 17-20
someones married their ...
... slept their dream -
Lines 21-24
stars rain sun ...
... many bells down) -
Lines 25-28
one day anyone ...
... was by was -
Lines 29-32
all by all ...
... if by yes. -
Lines 33-36
Women and men(both ...
... moon stars rain
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Symbols
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Bells
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 2: “up so floating many bells down”
- Line 24: “up so floating many bells down”
- Line 33: “dong and ding”
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Seasons and Weather
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 3: “spring summer autumn winter”
- Line 8: “sun moon stars rain”
- Line 11: “autumn winter spring summer”
- Line 15: “snow”
- Line 21: “stars rain sun moon”
- Line 22: “the snow”
- Line 31: “april”
- Line 34: “summer autumn winter spring”
- Line 36: “sun moon stars rain”
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Farming
Where this symbol appears in the poem:- Line 7: “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same”
- Line 35: “reaped their sowing”
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Antithesis
Where antithesis appears in the poem:- Line 4: “he sang his didn’t he danced his did”
- Line 7: “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same”
- Line 10: “down they forgot as up they grew”
- Line 14: “she laughed his joy she cried his grief”
- Line 18: “laughed their cryings and did their dance”
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Assonance
Where assonance appears in the poem:- Line 1: “how town”
- Line 2: “so floating,” “down”
- Line 4: “his didn’t,” “his did”
- Line 5: “small”
- Line 6: “not,” “all”
- Line 13: “tree,” “leaf”
- Line 14: “she,” “she,” “grief”
- Line 15: “bird,” “stir”
- Line 19: “then”
- Line 20: “said,” “nevers,” “slept”
- Line 22: “only,” “snow”
- Line 23: “forget,” “remember”
- Line 24: “so floating”
- Line 25: “died i”
- Line 26: “kiss his”
- Line 27: “busy,” “side by side”
- Line 29: “deep,” “deep”
- Line 30: “dream,” “sleep”
- Line 31: “april”
- Line 32: “wish,” “spirit,” “if”
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Asyndeton
Where asyndeton appears in the poem:- Line 3: “spring summer autumn winter”
- Line 4: “he sang his didn’t he danced his did.”
- Line 7: “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same”
- Line 8: “sun moon stars rain”
- Line 11: “autumn winter spring summer”
- Line 14: “she laughed his joy she cried his grief”
- Line 20: “said their nevers they slept their dream”
- Line 21: “stars rain sun moon”
- Line 34: “summer autumn winter spring”
- Line 36: “sun moon stars rain”
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Consonance
Where consonance appears in the poem:- Line 1: “how town”
- Lines 3-4: “spring summer autumn winter / he sang his didn’t he danced his did”
- Line 5: “Women and men,” “little,” “small”
- Line 6: “anyone not”
- Line 7: “they sowed their”
- Lines 7-8: “they reaped their same / sun moon stars rain”
- Line 11: “autumn winter spring summer”
- Line 13: “leaf”
- Line 14: “laughed”
- Line 15: “bird by snow,” “stir by still”
- Line 16: “anyone’s any”
- Line 17: “someones married their everyones”
- Line 18: “their cryings,” “did their dance”
- Line 19: “sleep,” “hope”
- Line 20: “said,” “slept”
- Line 21: “stars rain sun moon”
- Line 22: “and only,” “snow can begin,” “explain”
- Line 23: “forget”
- Line 24: “floating”
- Line 25: “day,” “died”
- Line 26: “stooped,” “kiss,” “face”
- Line 27: “busy folk buried,” “side by side”
- Line 29: “deep,” “deep”
- Line 30: “dream,” “sleep”
- Line 31: “noone and anyone,” “april”
- Line 32: “spirit,” “yes”
- Line 33: “Women and men,” “dong and ding”
- Line 34: “summer autumn winter spring”
- Line 35: “reaped their sowing”
- Line 36: “sun moon stars rain”
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Enjambment
Where enjambment appears in the poem:- Lines 9-10: “few / and”
- Lines 10-11: “grew / autumn”
- Lines 11-12: “summer) / that”
- Lines 19-20: “they / said”
- Lines 22-23: “explain / how”
- Lines 23-24: “remember / with”
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Diacope
Where diacope appears in the poem:- Line 12: “more by more”
- Line 27: “side by side”
- Line 28: “little by little,” “was by was”
- Line 29: “all by all,” “deep by deep”
- Line 30: “more by more”
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Alliteration
Where alliteration appears in the poem:- Line 3: “spring summer”
- Line 4: “he sang his didn’t he danced his did”
- Line 7: “sowed,” “same”
- Line 8: “sun,” “stars”
- Line 11: “spring summer”
- Line 13: “leaf”
- Line 14: “laughed”
- Line 15: “bird by snow,” “stir by still”
- Line 16: “anyone’s any”
- Line 18: “did,” “dance”
- Line 19: “sleep”
- Line 20: “said,” “slept”
- Line 21: “stars,” “sun”
- Line 22: “snow”
- Line 23: “forget”
- Line 24: “floating”
- Line 25: “day,” “died”
- Line 26: “face”
- Line 27: “busy folk buried”
- Line 29: “deep,” “deep”
- Line 30: “dream”
- Line 31: “and anyon”
- Line 33: “dong,” “ding”
- Line 34: “summer,” “spring”
- Line 35: “sowing”
- Line 36: “sun,” “stars”
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Parallelism
Where parallelism appears in the poem:- Line 4: “he sang his didn’t he danced his did.”
- Line 5: “Women and men(both little and small)”
- Line 7: “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same”
- Line 10: “down they forgot as up they grew”
- Line 13: “when by now and tree by leaf”
- Line 14: “she laughed his joy she cried his grief”
- Line 15: “bird by snow and stir by still”
- Line 18: “laughed their cryings and did their dance”
- Lines 19-20: “they / said their nevers they slept their dream”
- Lines 28-29: “little by little and was by was / all by all and deep by deep”
- Line 35: “reaped their sowing and went their came”
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Repetition
Where repetition appears in the poem:- Line 2: “up so floating many bells down”
- Line 3: “spring summer autumn winter”
- Line 4: “he sang his didn’t he danced his did.”
- Line 5: “Women and men”
- Lines 7-8: “they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same / sun moon stars rain”
- Line 11: “autumn winter spring summer”
- Line 14: “she laughed his joy she cried his grief”
- Line 18: “laughed their cryings and did their dance”
- Line 20: “they slept their dream”
- Line 21: “stars rain sun moon”
- Line 24: “up so floating many bells down”
- Line 30: “they dream their sleep”
- Line 33: “Women and men”
- Lines 34-36: “summer autumn winter spring / reaped their sowing and went their came / sun moon stars rain”
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- How
- Didn't/did
- Their isn't/same
- Sowed
- Reaped
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(Location in poem: Line 1: “how”)
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Speaker
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“anyone lived in a pretty how town” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “anyone lived in a pretty how town”
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More “anyone lived in a pretty how town” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Out Loud — Listen to a recording of E. E. Cummings reading his poem aloud in 1953.
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Structure and Form in the Poet's Work — An overview of Cummings's expansive experimentation with form and structure, including images of relevant examples.
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The Life and Work of Cummings — A detailed introduction to the poet, including biographical information, an overview of his writings and their reception, and links to a selection of his poems.
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Cummings the Painter — Explore the relationship between Cummings's poetry and painting through images of his art.
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George Lucas's Film Adaptation — Watch a film inspired by the Cummings poem, made by Star Wars creator George Lucas in 1967 when he was a student.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by E. E. Cummings
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