The Cambridge Ladies Who Live In Furnished Souls

Harvard University is usually a town associated with prestige and scholarship. In spite of this reputation, E.E. Cummings believes the upper-class of Cambridge, Massachusetts are not what they seem. Cummings was raised in a town with an important reputation to uphold, yet he grew tired of the bureaucratic ladies he saw neglecting their privilege by only seeking gains for themselves. E. E. Cummings manipulates the diction in “The Cambridge Ladies Who Live in Furnished Souls” through exaggerations, syntax, and various comparisons in order to portray the wealthy women of Cambridge, Massachusetts as more morally corrupt and snobbish than they appear.

When first reading “The Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls”, the reader may view E.E. Cummings as a cynic of the Harvard society. This is not entirely inaccurate, yet Cummings does not write about Cambridge as an outsider; he has a reputation in Cambridge. He builds ethos in the poem by having lived in the town of Cambridge among the townspeople and by graduating from Harvard University (Martin 1). The reader is able to align with Cummings line of thinking once they understand his background and values. Cummings was also the kin of an “ordained minister of South

Congregational Church, Unitarian, in Boston” (1). His religious background guided his poetry and life, yet it made him more critical of other’s practices.
Cummings mentions religion in lines 3-5 of “The Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls” as an insult to the ladies’ values. He writes:
(also, with the church's protestant blessings
daughters,unscented shapeless spirited)
they believe in Christ and Longfellow, both dead,
In this excerpt Cummings alludes to Jesus Christ and Henry Longfellow which implies they value traditional art and beliefs (Smelstor 1). Henry Longfellow was a professor and poet at Harvard University who wrote traditional American poetry. This “suggests that these women are careful to read what is noncontroversial and nationalistic, two qualities Cummings abhors.” (1). Cummings does not support reading trivial media with little controversy because it does not challenge the reader's mind nor opinions. If the women only read literature that promotes their beliefs, they will never acquire a sophisticated opinion on disputable topics. In order for a person to have insight on an issue, they must consider more than one point of view.
Cummings strong feelings against the ladies is also exemplified in his sonnet’s form, rhythm, and syntax. Cummings only follow the standard fourteen line rule in his sonnet and does not use any recognizable rhyme schemes in his poem (Smelstor 1). The specific word usage Cummings chooses helps the message and feelings he wishes to feature be interpreted more easily (Blackmur 6). He surrounds things he likes with generous phrases to exemplify his attitude, while doing the opposite for things or persons he thinks lack character (6). He describes the Cambridge ladies as “unbeautiful”, “uncaring”, gossipy, and “comfortable”, so, in spite of any good deed they have done, he showers them in terrible light (Cummings). Diction helps him distinguish the positive and negative parts of his poem. Syntax helps him also align the verses in each line to have a more rhythmic flow.
He forms the end-lines in a wavelike composition which is intended to be representative of the sea (Ketterer 1). Additionally, the ending sounds to many of his lines spell out the word sea (1). Souls, minds, and blessings end in a s the first letter of sea. The words bandy and poles are less obvious, but their end syllable is an eh sounds for and e (1). Above and of both end in an ah sound to finish the word sea (1). “The moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy” could also be an attempt by Cummings to show how the meaning put in the moon is being mistreated by the women (1). The moon is connected to the sea because of its role in the tides and waves. The rattling may represent the lack of appreciation the ladies hold for the natural beauty exhibited in simple things such as the moon (1). The absence of respect for the moon caused it to rattle like an empty candy container neglected by its beholders. Cummings line lengths depict an image of a storm-tossed sea as a reflection of the moon and its anger (1). As the swells of the lines progress the reader is faced with the final question “Is the Atlantic threatening to engulf the comfortable ladies of Cambridge? ‘[P]erhaps.’” (2). Cummings makes a point for the reader to know realize there is beauty in understanding the meaning in simple functions which surround humanity and appreciating them without corruption.
Dishonest and petty can be found at most corners of the world, and according to E.

E. Cummings Cambridge, home of Harvard University, is crawling with women who fit this description. His poem reveals a sad truth about the lack of genuinity exhibited within the wealthy ladies of the town. Cummings and the ladies believe in polarized ideas despite them living in a similar environment for many years. Their reluctance to challenge themselves has made their current opinions embedded into their minds. Cummings believes their gossipy slander is the most they will attempt to contribute to the town. Even though the women have potential to change from their ways, it is likely they never will due to their reluctance to take initiative towards a better

path.