"If a poet is anybody, he is somebody to whom things made matter very little - somebody who is obsessed by Making"

The quote by e. e. cummings, "If a poet is anyone, he is somebody to whom things made matter very little - someone who is obsessed by Making", uses a profound glimpse into the essence of what it means to be a poet and, more broadly, an artist. This declaration distinguishes the worth that a true poet places on production versus the concrete end-products or results.

To begin with, cummings is highlighting the concept that a poet-- the stereotypical creative individual-- finds little significance in "things made", or the physical symptoms of creative work. This can be understood as a critique of materialism, where the focus is often on the output or the artifacts that art produces. For cummings, these concrete end-products do not define the poetic identity or the innovative journey. Instead, it is the process of production, the real act of making-- the continuous drive to reveal, to mold, to imagine-- that lies at the heart of a poet's presence.

The phrase "obsessed by Making" recommends an intrinsic motivation that surpasses easy production; it suggests an extensive engagement with the process itself. This obsession could be seen as a relentless pursuit of truth, beauty, or comprehending through creative expression. In this view, the poet's life is not confirmed by completed works that can be purchased, offered, or disdained but rather by an ongoing dedication to exploring and forming new kinds and ideas.

In addition, cummings might be stressing that for a poet, and undoubtedly for any really passionate developer, the journey of production is inherently satisfying. It is a process driven by curiosity, an insatiable desire to check out the depths of human experience, and a steadfast dedication to voice the inexpressible.

Ultimately, cummings seems to recommend that it is this fascination with producing, rather than what is developed, that defines the essence of artistic identity. It suggests an event of the ephemeral procedure of development rather than the concrete artifacts it may yield, pointing to a profound appreciation of the creative journey itself.