e.e. cummings self-portrait c. 1920.

Tulips and Chimneys, published 1923, was e. e. cummings’s (yes, that’s how he stylizes his name) first book of poems. “may i feel said he” was contained within it. Cummings was acclaimed for his avant-garde style, precision, and eccentricities.

It takes a while to get used to e. e. cummings’s but this poem is a prime example of the power of his style.