How does one make a grasshopper come to life in poetry? Well, E.E. Cummings found a way to do just this in his poem "Grasshopper." Since Cummings was a young child until his passing day he had a very eccentric personality. He used this personality in writing his poetry which allowed him to drastically stand out. In a way Cummings tried to show others, through his poems, the benefits of individualism. Cummings was raised in a strict household which influenced him later in life. Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the year of 1894. Cumming's father was a Harvard professor and a Unitarian minister, most likely because of these professions strict values were practiced in their household. "He began writing poetry at age ten, and continued while studying at Cambridge High School" (Benson). Soon this early writing would serve him well. E.E. Cummings arrived in a writing career with a rich variety of experiences. In 1915 he received his A.B. and in 1916 he received his A.B., both from Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard, at the beginning of World War I, Cummings joined the American volunteer Norton Harjes Ambulance Corpes in France. While in France, "Cummings received letters from a friend containing indiscrete comments" (ee cummings 1894-1962). Unfortunately, due to this, in 1917 he became trapped in a French concentration camp for reasons related to treason.
This tragic experience led Cummings to write his first book The Enormous Room. During the era in which Cummings lived the environment around him went from horse and buggy to airplanes. When Cummings was in his twenties half of the population lived in urban areas and half lived in rural areas. Also, radio was invented for the enjoyment of people across America. Advancements in technology allowed planes to fly across nations (Applebee 760-761, 906-907). Due to all these new freedoms he was afforded the