How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember (22-23)
Cummings suspects that children grow up to not care about others because this is exactly what they've been trained to do by their parents. If their parents only care about them and their family, the kids will obviously grow up to repeat this same pattern.
Quote #5
busy folk buried the side by side
little by little and was by was (27-28)
The people of anyone's town are nice enough to bury him after he dies. But that's about it. Now they have to get back to their busy little lives and raise some busy little kids. Then the kids will grow up to be busy and they'll have busy kids too. Well, you see that this is getting us nowhere.
Quote #6
Women and men(both dong and ding)
reaped their sowing and went their came (35-36)
The women and men of the pretty how town bury anyone and noone. Then they get back to their comings and goings. Life is all just family and business and no one ever stops to think about the bigger picture. Well, that's what poets like Cummings are here for.