All the World’s a Stage
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Nepali Language Translation
सारा संसार एउटा रंगमञ्च हो,
र सबै पुरुष र महिला मात्र खेलाडीहरू;
तिनीहरूका निकासहरू र तिनीहरूका प्रवेशहरू छन्,
र आफ्नो समयमा एक व्यक्तिले धेरै पार्टहरू खेल्छ,
उनको कर्म सात वर्षको छ । सुरुमा, शिशु,
नर्सको काखमा घुँडा टेक्दै।
त्यसपछि रुँदै स्कुल केटा, आफ्नो झोला लिएर
र बिहानको चम्किलो अनुहार, घोंघा झैं घस्रिरहेको
स्कुल जान नचाहने । अनि प्रेमी,
भट्ठीजस्तै सुस्किराखेको, दु:खपूर्ण गीत संग
आफ्नी श्रीमतीको भौंमा बनाइयो। त्यसपछि एक सिपाही,
अनौठो कसमले भरिएको र पर्द जस्तै दाह्री,
सम्मानमा ईर्ष्यालु, अचानक र झगडामा छिटो,
बबल प्रतिष्ठा खोज्दै
तोपको मुखमा पनि। अनि न्याय,
राम्रो टोपी लगाएको गोलाकार पेटमा,
कडा आँखा र औपचारिक काटिएको दाह्री संग,
बुद्धिमान आरा र आधुनिक उदाहरणहरूले भरिएको;
र त्यसैले उसले आफ्नो भूमिका खेल्छ। छैटौं उमेर परिवर्तन हुन्छ
दुबला र चप्पल भएको पेन्टालुनमा,
नाकमा चश्मा र छेउमा थैलीसहित;
उसको जवानी नली, राम्रोसँग बचाइयो, संसार धेरै चौडा
उसको संकुचित टांगको लागि, र उसको ठूलो पुरुषार्थी आवाजको लागि,
फेरि बालिश ट्रेबल, पाइपहरू तिर घुम्दै
र उसको आवाजमा सिट्टी बजाउँछ। सबैको अन्तिम दृश्य,
यसले यो अनौठो घटनापूर्ण इतिहासको अन्त्य गर्दछ,
दोस्रो बालिशता र विस्मरण मात्र हो,
बिना दाँत, बिना आँखा, बिना स्वाद, बिना सबै।
SUMMRAY OF POEM
E. E. Cummings’ poem “who are you, little i” is a brief but poignant reflection on childhood wonder and the beauty of nature. The poem depicts a young child, around five or six years old, observing a sunset in November. The child is gazing from a window, admiring the golden light of the setting sun.
The poem captures the moment when the child, in their innocence, appreciates the beauty of the sunset and the inevitability of nightfall. There is a subtle, tender recognition that even though day must turn into night, the transition is something beautiful.
At its heart, the poem explores themes of innocence, nostalgia, and the fleeting yet significant moments in life. It suggests that the world, when seen through a child’s eyes, is full of awe and wonder, even in the simple passage of time from day to night.
BOOK EXERCISE
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Who can be the speaker of this poem?
Answer : The speaker is most likely an adult version of the poet, E. E. Cummings, reflecting on his childhood self.
b. What is “little i” doing?
Answer : “Little i” is standing by a window, observing and appreciating the beauty of a November sunset, showing a childlike wonder for nature.
c. What can be the relationship between “little i” and the speaker of the poem?
Answer : The relationship between “little i” and the speaker is that of the same person at different ages. “Little i” is the speaker’s younger self, with the speaker now reminiscing about that time.
d. What is the speaker remembering from his childhood days in the poem?
Answer : The speaker is recalling a childhood memory where he, as a young child, admired the golden colors of a sunset, appreciating the natural beauty of the world with a sense of wonder.
e. What attitude does the speaker seem to have toward the child in the poem?
Answer : The speaker has a tender, nostalgic attitude toward the child, appreciating the innocence and pure perspective that the child has toward the beauty of nature and life.
Reference to the context
a. Why do you think Cummings has placed a semicolon between the words window and at?
Answer : Cummings uses a semicolon to create a pause between “window” and “at” to emphasize the shift in focus. The first part introduces the child looking through a window, while the semicolon gives space for the reader to take in the transition to the child’s emotional response to the sunset. It also slows down the reading, allowing for deeper reflection on the beauty of the scene.
b. If the speaker is the child grown up, why does he ask, “who are you”?
Answer : The speaker asks “who are you” as a way of distancing himself from his younger self. As an adult, he is reflecting on the innocence, wonder, and pure perception of the child he once was, which now feels distant and unfamiliar. The question expresses nostalgia and curiosity about how that child experienced the world in such a simple, profound way.
c. In this poem, an adult reflects on the childhood experience. Based on that, what might be the theme of the lines: “(and feeling: that if day / has to become night / this is a beautiful way)”?
Answer : The theme in these lines centers on the acceptance of life’s inevitable transitions, such as the passage of time and the progression from childhood to adulthood. The child’s innocent perspective on the sunset serves as a metaphor for accepting change — that if something as inevitable as nightfall must happen, it can still be beautiful. It suggests that there is grace and beauty in life’s natural cycles, even in endings.
d. What is the rhyme scheme used in the poem?
Answer : The poem has no regular rhyme scheme, as it is written in free verse. Cummings often used free verse to reflect natural speech and avoid the constraints of traditional poetic forms, allowing for more expressive freedom.
e. Explain the pun in “little i” that is related to what he is doing.
Answer : The pun in “little i” works on two levels. First, it refers to the speaker’s younger self, a child who is small in stature. Second, the lowercase “i” symbolizes humility or insignificance in the vastness of the world, reflecting the child’s smallness compared to the grand sunset they are watching. The lowercase letter also hints at the child’s modest, innocent perspective.
f. How does Cummings’s use of lowercase letters affect your understanding of the poem? Explain.
Answer : Cummings’s use of lowercase letters, especially with “i,” creates a sense of humility and childlike simplicity. The lowercase “i” suggests that the child, and even the speaker’s adult self, sees themselves as a small part of the greater world. It enhances the theme of innocence and vulnerability, while also drawing attention to the purity of the child’s experience. Cummings’s unconventional style also encourages readers to think more deeply about the ideas of identity and perspective.
Reference beyond the text
a. How does nature inspire the speaker in “who are you, little i”? Explain.
Answer : In “who are you, little i”, nature inspires the speaker by evoking a sense of wonder and beauty, especially in the simplicity of a sunset. The child’s observation of the golden light of the November sunset symbolizes the natural world’s ability to create moments of awe, even in everyday experiences. Nature’s beauty prompts a deep reflection on the passage of time and life’s transitions, showing the speaker that there is something profoundly peaceful in the way day turns into night. The natural world encourages the speaker to appreciate life’s inevitable changes and find comfort in them.
b. Recall a childhood moment when you felt closely connected with nature. Describe the time and place as well as your feelings and thoughts about it.
Answer : One memory from childhood that stands out is a summer evening when I visited a beach at sunset. The sky was a blend of pink, orange, and purple hues, and the sound of waves gently crashing against the shore created a calming rhythm. As I walked barefoot on the sand, I felt deeply connected to the world around me—each breeze seemed to carry a sense of peace, and the colors of the sky made me feel as if I were part of something much bigger. In that moment, I felt a sense of stillness and wonder, as if nature was speaking directly to me, and I wanted to freeze that moment forever.
c. Interpret the poem in any way you like.
Answer : The poem can be interpreted as a meditation on the passage of time and the loss of childhood innocence. The adult speaker looks back at their younger self, marveling at the child’s pure, unfiltered view of the world. The “little i” represents the small, humble child who sees beauty in a fleeting sunset and accepts the natural progression of day into night without fear or regret. This can be a metaphor for how, as adults, we often lose that ability to see the world with such awe and acceptance. The poem invites readers to reconnect with their inner child and rediscover the simple beauty that once filled their lives.
