World Academia Org Publication Modern Journal Of Language and Literature , Vol. 1 , No. 2 /3 , October /November 2011 ISSN : 2251- 6956 © Word Academia Org. Publication, UK. London All rights reserved www.world-academia.com 1 Deframing Theory & Poetry: from William Shakespeare to E. E. Cummings Yasser Khamees Ragab Aman, Minia University, yass712000@yahoo.com Abstract This paper introduces the theory of deframing: a new mechanism for reading and analyzing poetry. This theory is derived from the cinematic term décadrage; from photography, painting and cognitive frames. It aims at unraveling cultural specifics which affect a (foreign) reader‟s interpretation of a given literary work. Moreover, it introduces different possible readings and interpretations by spotlighting the less focused scenes /details in a given work. Deframing necessitates decoding of intertextual and cognitive references, which helps build an accurate, deeply rooted cultural image without discarding any cultural implications. On the other hand, it synchronically and diachronically delimits a certain scene at a definite moment, changing any given interpretation or an expected response. Actually, it provides the reader with possibilities to revisit a work of art and discover new meanings and produces different interpretations. The theory will be applied to different poets from William Shakespeare to E. E. Cummings. Keywords: Deframing, poetry, literature, painting, photography, cinema, cognitive linguistics © Published by World Acdemia Org Publication . UK , London ============================================================================== 1. Introduction The selected poems analysed below show that the theory of deframing can be applied to poetry and further to literature. The chosen poems had been written within four hundred years, starting from William Shakespeare and ending with E. E. Cummings. Each poem highlights different element of the theory; other elements may be in the background, though. Each of the three bases of the theory, viz., photography/ painting, cinema making and cognitive linguistics, provides an approach to deframe relevant frames. Put together, they form an inseparable whole. Though frames used by the three bases seem different, they share the same deframing technique which produces new meanings. 2. Deframing in Photography/Painting Deframing reminds one of the relation between poetry and painting/ photography, which suggests that a framed meaning is a reflection of the original meaning in nature. Therefore, to complete this framed meaning, it needs to be deframed. What the painter observes in nature and vicissitude of people‟s li ves is both mirrored in his mind and reflected in his paintings, per se. The same can be said about the poet whose poetry expresses what his eyes behold. M. H. Abrams shows the relationship between painting, photography and poetry: