The poem contrasts the experiences of the soldier's family at home during World War 1 with his experience in the trenches. His aunt tells others about the war, his sister knits supplies, and his parents discuss courage and duty. Meanwhile, the soldier lies in the mud dreaming of the person he loves.

1. my sweet old etcetera e e cummings

2. my sweet old etcetera my sweet old etcetera aunt lucy during the recent war could and what is more did tell you just what everybody was fighting for, my sister isabel created hundreds (and hundreds)of socks not to mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers etcetera wristers etcetera, my mother hoped that

3. i would die etcetera bravely of course my father used to become hoarse talking about how it was a privilege and if only he could meanwhile my self etcetera lay quietly in the deep mud et cetera (dreaming, et cetera,of Your smile eyes knees and of your Etcetera)

5. Typographical innovation: Two capital letters Three commas No full stops One long run-on sentence – meaning can be clarified by “rewriting” the poem into acceptable sentences.

6. My sweet old Aunt Lucy during the recent war could and what is more did tell you just what everybody was fighting for. My sister, Isabel, created hundreds and hundreds of socks; not to mention shirts, flea-proof earwarmers and wristers. My mother hoped that I would die bravely. Of course, my father to become hoarse talking about how it was a privilege and if only he could. Meanwhile I lay quietly in the deep mud dreaming of your smile, eyes, knees and of your…. Content?

7. EXPERIENCE OF WAR (WW1) AT HOME: AUNT LUCY SISTER, ISABEL MY MOTHER MY FATHER ON THE FRONT: SOLDIER SON SPEAKER

8. Typographical innovation: Two capital letters One comma No full stops One long run-on sentence – meaning can be clarified by “rewriting” the poem into acceptable sentences. Use of “etcetera” and playful ambiguity (typography) creates and interesting poem.

10. my sweet old etcetera aunt lucy during the recent war could and what is more did tell you just what everybody was fighting for His aunt had told him (and others) about the war and what is was all about… ADJECTIVE

11. my sister isabel created hundreds (and hundreds)of socks not to mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers etcetera wristers etcetera, ADJECTIVE NOUN NOUN His sister was busy knitting and sewing…making clothes and other items to keep the soldiers on the front warm…

12. my mother hoped that i would die etcetera bravely of course my father used to become hoarse talking about how it was a privilege and if only he could PLACEMENT OF THIS “ETC” DELIBERATELY MISLEADS OF CONFUSES THE READER – SOUNDS AS THOUGH MOTHER HOPES THAT HER SON WILL DIE

13. meanwhile my self etcetera lay quietly in the deep mud et cetera (dreaming, et cetera,of Your smile eyes knees and of your Etcetera) While they think of him, he lies sleeping in the muddy trenches, dreaming… Typography visually shows the soldier drifting off to sleep

14. Poet/speaker becomes an “etcetera” of the war… Used when one does not want to go into detail… Details are continually “cut off” through the use of “etcetera”

15. Rushworth M. Kidder (1979) ...it contrasts the reality of a soldier's life on the front with the fictions entertained by his family at home. His "aunt lucy" is the newsmonger; his sister knits socks, shirts, and "fleaproof earwarmers"; his parents tout such abstractions as courage and loyalty; and all the while the soldier himself lies "in the deep mud" dreaming of "Your smile / eyes knees and of your Etcetera." cFirst used to amplify adjectives ("sweet old"), it next amplifies the nouns in the list of things his sister knits. It then modifies a verb ("my / mother hoped that / I would die etcetera / bravely"). This gradual shift stresses its use in the last line as a noun in its own right, where "your Etcetera" stands for some noun or nouns which, if printed, would call down the wrath of Sumner [secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice] and his Vice Society....