E. E. Cummings

Flotsam and Jetsam

Flotsam and Jetsam - meaning Summary

Gender Satire in Playful Language

Cummings playfully upends gender binaries and social conventions. Through disrupted spelling, invented words, and ironic slogans, the poem mocks rigid distinctions between men and women, labor rhetoric, and patriotic cliches. It treats roles and labels as arbitrary and performative, exposing their absurdity while also mingling humor with mild social critique. The tone is satirical and teasing rather than polemical, inviting readers to question linguistic and cultural certainties.

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