E. E. Cummings

Raise the Shade

Raise the Shade - meaning Summary

Playful, Chiding Intimacy

A speaker addresses a familiar "dearie" in a teasing, conversational voice, dismissing worry about rain while shifting to affectionate reproach. The poem mixes playful intimacy with small moral comment: pity for "poor girls" who rise early and the gentle admonition not to be so hard. Its fragmentary lines and colloquial language create a casual, immediate scene of domestic banter that undercuts and softens the chiding tone.

Read Complete Analyses

raise the shade will youse dearie? rain wouldn’t that get yer goat but we don’t care do we dearie we should worry about the rain huh dearie? yknow i’m sorry for awl the poor girls that gets up god knows when every day of their lives aint you, oo-oo.    dearie not so hard dear you’re killing me

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