Uploaded March 2012 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This poem was first published in 1916. I don't know what it means or even if there is a literal interpretation, other than that it sounds like a medieval ballad and an allegorical tragic love story, with characteristic refrains - something like Lord Randall, for instance. The speaker appears to be female.
For various literary analyses of the poem consult "E. E. Cummings By Harold Bloom", page 19, at Google books.
tinyurl.com/cjevqpb
Misprints are common in versions on the web. Also all readings I've heard have mispronunciations e.g. "Four fleet does at a gold valley" - "does" are female deer, and not pronounced as in "does it matter?" Joan Baez made an excellent song of it and she gets the wording and pronunciation right.
The E.E. Cummings Society asks that the author's name be printed with capital letters. The use of lower-case was not his idea - it was an editors whim.
Paintings from this site:
khmerpainting.wordpress.com/famous-painting
also Charles Towne - The Stag Hunt
All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the merry deer ran before.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
the swift sweet deer
the red rare deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
the cruel bugle sang before.
Horn at hip went my love riding
riding the echo down
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the level meadows ran before.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
the lean lithe deer
the fleet flown deer.
Four fleet does at a gold valley
the famished arrow sang before.
Bow at belt went my love riding
riding the mountain down
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the sheer peaks ran before.
Paler be they than daunting death
the sleek slim deer
the tall tense deer.
Four tall stags at a green mountain
the lucky hunter sang before.
All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
my heart fell dead before.
This poem was first published in 1916. I don't know what it means or even if there is a literal interpretation, other than that it sounds like a medieval ballad and an allegorical tragic love story, with characteristic refrains - something like Lord Randall, for instance. The speaker appears to be female.
For various literary analyses of the poem consult "E. E. Cummings By Harold Bloom", page 19, at Google books.
tinyurl.com/cjevqpb
Misprints are common in versions on the web. Also all readings I've heard have mispronunciations e.g. "Four fleet does at a gold valley" - "does" are female deer, and not pronounced as in "does it matter?" Joan Baez made an excellent song of it and she gets the wording and pronunciation right.
The E.E. Cummings Society asks that the author's name be printed with capital letters. The use of lower-case was not his idea - it was an editors whim.
Paintings from this site:
khmerpainting.wordpress.com/famous-painting
also Charles Towne - The Stag Hunt
All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the merry deer ran before.
Fleeter be they than dappled dreams
the swift sweet deer
the red rare deer.
Four red roebuck at a white water
the cruel bugle sang before.
Horn at hip went my love riding
riding the echo down
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the level meadows ran before.
Softer be they than slippered sleep
the lean lithe deer
the fleet flown deer.
Four fleet does at a gold valley
the famished arrow sang before.
Bow at belt went my love riding
riding the mountain down
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
the sheer peaks ran before.
Paler be they than daunting death
the sleek slim deer
the tall tense deer.
Four tall stags at a green mountain
the lucky hunter sang before.
All in green went my love riding
on a great horse of gold
into the silver dawn.
four lean hounds crouched low and smiling
my heart fell dead before.
