Ta

Ta - meaning Summary

Playful Sound and Movement

Cummings's short poem stages playful sound and physical motion through fragmented words and unexpected line breaks. It mimics a light, awkward creature—"hippopotamus" split and softened—while combining musical taps, looping motion, and comic gesture. The visual layout and abrupt shifts compress movement and voice into a single brief impression, inviting readers to hear cadence and see action rather than follow a conventional narrative or argument.