How would you perform a practical criticism of this poem?

Taking the student through a sample poem, here e e cummings' '1a', I would guide them to look at content, form, and images, as well as the concrete nature of the poem. I would then ask them to tease out the interconnections between these facets of the poem. I would encourage a student to think of a number of differing interpretations of the poem, how to combine its aspects, and why it is written in this form. 

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