Following is an excerpt from student Bonnie Sillay’s close reading of two poems by E. E. Cummings. This essay follows MLA style (see Chapter 32). Bonnie is creating her own interpretation, so the only works she cites are the poems she analyzes. To read the full essay, work with annotations, and do other activities related to writing about literature, go to Close reading of poetry (Bonnie Sillay). (Photo © Bonnie Sillay)