Poet Spotlight -EE Cummings
The most beautiful thing about poetry is that it can contradict itself. E E Cummings was an unconventional poet who wrote traditional poetry.
I'm sharing one of his poems and also what made his poetry so timeless. He was unconventional because of his complete disregard for grammar and punctuation.
I carry your heart with me
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it (anywhere
I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
As a young girl when I read this poem (I was highly romantic) , I dreamed of reciting it to my partner. But the truly great thing about this is , it speaks of love in all forms.
I sent this to my closet friends after they supported me through a rough period. I couldn't find the words to thank them for being there when I needed them. When words overwhelm you-Poetry helps.
The poem begins simply by stating I have your heart and I take care of it but it's the subsequent lines that give me chills.
I fear
no fate (for you are my fate), It makes you look at love in a different form. It speaks of not only the fearlessness but also how Black and White love is. You either love someone or you don't. There are no 50 shades of grey about it.
It moves on to the enduring quality of love. There are no fancy words, just words put in a way that makes you think.
It changes your outlook on love, that it might not be perfect but it stays with you.
The last paragraph soars like a bird and wham hits you in the face, achingly beautiful .'But It's the wonder that's keeping the stars apart' speaks of something bigger than us. The scientific nerd in me just enjoys it.The poem ends as innocuously as it started after sandbagging you in the face.
SO, do you think you'll ever whisper this to someone?
If love keeps the stars apart then love is a force in opposition to gravity.. I guess we feel high, light on our feet, and on top the world when we are in love.. Perhaps this is something Einstein missed. :)
I love e e cummings but haven't read any of his poetry in a long time. Thanks for the reminder and your personal experience of this poem! The one that kind of hits me in a similar visceral way, though nowhere near as deep, is "This is just to say" by William Carlos Williams. I feel chilled (in a pleasant way) after reading it!
Wow I never thought of it that way. That's beautiful. Love is anti-gravity. Want to write a poem on it?
I think the last time I wrote a poem was 20 years ago! If you don't count the occasional haiku or limerick... :D
Nice poem and an awesome review of poem👍
Idk if I would whisper it to someone or not but really enjoyed reading it.
Upvoted for participation in DEFINE THE WORD, current Round is up hope to see you there
'But It's the wonder that's keeping the stars apart'
Very deep if I think about it.