Art Is a Mystery: Probing a Prose Poem

Abstract piece by e.e. cummings, plus a tri-level scaffolding of open-ended questions and a creative project, accompanied by my personal insights inspired by the poem.

First, as will be required throughout this unit, download the poem from Google and print it out. Thinkexist.com is a good link for this one.

First Impressions:
1. What does "mystery" mean to you?
2. Are mysteries expected to be solved or are they beyond our ken?
3. What does "immeasurable" man to you?

Second Thoughts:
4. In what ways are people immeasurable?
5. In what ways is nature immeasurable?
6. Is there any statement in the poem that you might challenge? If so, why?

Digging Deeper:
7. What similarities might exist between art and nature?
8. In what ways might art be alive?
9. What does the repetition of "nothing" add to his argument? How might it be ironic?

Creative Project:
If "art is every mystery of nature" (including human nature) then we might expect that a true work of art reveals some aspect of this mystery. Select a work of art from any genre that does this in some way.

Afterthoughts:
Another irony occurs cummings states his case via a logical progression of ideas, whereby he commandeers the cornerstone of science to "prove" his point about art, thus reconciling the presumed "opposites" of science and art.