In the ten years leading up to when cummings penned “somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond,” the surrealism movement, another avant-garde art form, gained momentum. The book Surrealist Painters and Poets (2001), edited by Mary Ann Caws, provides an insightful introduction to the works of surrealist artists and writers from that time, featuring some rare letters and essays that are difficult to find elsewhere.

While cummings is primarily celebrated for his poetry, he also authored other works, such as Eimi (1933), a travel journal documenting his 1931 visit to the Soviet Union. Before this journey, cummings had been an advocate of communism but shifted his perspective after observing the Soviet regime, which disguised itself as a communist government. The book serves as a harsh critique of the Soviet Union and its policies.

Cummings’s unique and experimental approach was apparent in his debut poetry collection, Tulips and Chimneys (1923). Although initial reactions to the collection were varied, many critics acknowledged cummings's poetic brilliance even at this nascent stage of his career.

The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (1999), compiled by Alan Kaufman and S. A. Griffin, is a comprehensive anthology featuring avant-garde and experimental American poetry from the 1950s to the present. It includes selections from over two hundred poets.