How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
because my Father lived his soul (67)
Oh, here's the silver lining. We figured there'd be one with Cummings on the case. This final line of the poem presents a cool contrast to all this death talk. Though his father is dead, the speaker claims that he totally rocked it out when he was alive. He "lived his soul," meaning that he made the most of who he was and what he had to give. This sentiment is a thing you hear at a lot of funerals: "He lived a good life." Here, though, Cummings manages to avoid the cliché with inventive wording.