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#171979 - 12/10/07 05:59 AM Why the i ?
BranShea Offline
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Registered: 06/23/06
Posts: 5249
Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
E.E. Cummings uses the prenoun I very sparsly and when he does he writes it: --- i
Helen of Troy uses this little i consequently. And sometimes I see it done elsewhere. Is there a trend to drop the I for the i?
If so, why?

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#171983 - 12/10/07 07:16 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: BranShea]
Faldage Offline
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When E. E. Cummings refers to himself by name it is as "e. e. cummings". Orthography is not one of helen's strong points. If there's any tendency to lowercase the first person singular nominative pronoun it's part of a general idiotendency to lowercase everything. I know of no movement to lowercase just "I".

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#171984 - 12/10/07 07:49 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: Faldage]
BranShea Offline
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Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
So much the better. In a poem, sparsly used it may have a special meaning and looks allright.
In larger texts, as this pronoun is only a one letter sign, I think it looks poorly.

Oh,(Edit), I think Helen writes the little i on purpose,
not out of weakness.Furthermore and most of all, the cover pages of the books I have give E.E. Cummings with capitals and in the books he does not refer to himself, but writes nice poetry.


Edited by BranShea (12/10/07 10:07 AM)
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#171988 - 12/10/07 10:43 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: BranShea]
Maven Offline
member

Registered: 04/27/07
Posts: 120
Loc: California
Editorial changes--I think that this post is the first time I've seen e.e. cummings capitilized!
_________________________
tempus edax rerum

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#171991 - 12/10/07 11:12 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: Maven]
BranShea Offline
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Registered: 06/23/06
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Loc: Netherlands, the Hague
If you need proof, nothing I can do about it.

E.E.C.

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#171993 - 12/10/07 11:39 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: BranShea]
tsuwm Online confused
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Registered: 04/03/00
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#171994 - 12/10/07 11:41 AM Re: Why the i ? [Re: tsuwm]
Buffalo Shrdlu Offline
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Registered: 06/24/02
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a pre-internet meme, eh?
_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...

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#171998 - 12/10/07 12:12 PM Re: Why the i ? [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
Hydra Offline
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Registered: 08/02/06
Posts: 631
Speaking of weird names, what's the weirdest?

There's always The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. And I also recall a writer who named himself circle—not the word, mind you, but the shape.

Edit: God bless Wikipedia.


Edited by Hydra (12/10/07 12:14 PM)
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#172003 - 12/10/07 12:59 PM Re: Why the i ? [Re: tsuwm]
Myridon Offline
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Registered: 10/24/05
Posts: 557
Loc: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted By: tsuwm
NOT "e. e. cummings"

Not "e. e. cummings" Revisited

In the first link:
Quote:
"I am a small eye poet." Notice that he capitalizes the first-person singular,

Maybe, I need a little more to prove he not merely capitalizing the first letter of the sentence.

In the second link, the text of their "correctly" capitalized plaque:
Quote:
4 PATCHIN PLACE
ONE-TIME HOME OF "POETandPAINTER" E. E. CUMMINGS (d. 1962) AND
HIS WIFE, MODEL AND PHOTOGRAPHER MARION MOREHOUSE (d. 1969)

They capitalized everything! Did they think other people would put "e. e. cUMMINGS" in that situation? Is "POETandPAINTER" with no spaces something from the poet (and how is it capitalized there) or another example of Norman Friedman's superior orthography?

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#172006 - 12/10/07 01:07 PM Re: Why the i ? [Re: Myridon]
tsuwm Online confused
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Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10464
Loc: this too shall pass
or is Norman Friedman just a crank?

-joe (he asks for money to support his plaque!) friday

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