Puella mea

by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings

"Puella Mea" by E. E. Cummings is a poem first published in 1921. At 290 lines, it stands as Cummings' longest poem, celebrating his first wife Elaine through elaborate historical and literary allusions. The Latin title meaning "My Girl" references Catullus while the verse itself blends Romance traditions with the Song of Solomon. Critics debate whether this early work represents youthful excess or a delightful departure from Cummings' witty romanticism, with its ornate language maintaining mysterious distance between subject and reader.