(1894-1962) cummings, e e Literary signature
US poet and novelist. He made his reputation with collections of poetry such as Tulips and Chimneys 1923. At first the poems gained notoriety for their idiosyncratic punctuation and typography (using only lowercase letters, for example), but their lyric power has gradually been recognized.
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cummings graduated from Harvard University and served in the ambulance corps during World War I. He was imprisoned for a brief period for alleged treasonous statements in his correspondence. Out of this experience came his novel, The Enormous Room 1922. Other collections of poetry include XLI, 1925, ViVa 1931, and 1 x 1 1944. Him 1927 was an expressionist drama. Also notable are his paintings, lectures, and the essays Eimi 1933, his impressions of the USSR.