What is e ecummings' poem Plato Told about?

Answer 1

Plato wrote:

It is only the dead who have seen the end of war

EDIT: It is doubtful that Plato said this. See plato-dialogues.org/faq/faq008.htm

Lao Tzu wrote:

How could man rejoice in victory and delight in the slaughter of men?

General Sherman wrote:

I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.

EDIT: He must have said this in a moment of sobriety, just before he returned to his heinous philosophy of "total war." See civilwar.org

The sixth avenue el (elevated railway) was torn down and the scrap metal sold to Japan in 1939. It was a popular conception that the metal was converted into weapons and used against the allies in WWII. The poem was written in 1944.

So the poem might be interpreted thus: Despite numerous warnings, the hero of the poem becomes a soldier and was eventually killed by a Japanese weapon made from metal which originally sold by the US to Japan as scrap.

Answer 2

"Plato Told" by e.e. cummings is a poem that explores themes of love, desire, and self-discovery. It portrays an intimate conversation between Plato and a lover, suggesting a deep connection and understanding between the speaker and the beloved. The poem uses playful language and unconventional punctuation to convey the complexities of human relationships.