Sunday Scribblings: "I Carry"

When I saw the prompt, the first thing I thought of was this poem by e.e. cummings. It’s one of the first poems I remember reading by him—I think I was about 18. With its awkward phrasing and use of repetition, it moves me every time.


As I look at the first line, with no space between the word “me” and beginning parens, I notice there’s no space around any punctuation mark. It’s pleasantly odd because the parentheses sets off a digression of thought, but really that’s the meat of the poem. It represents a sort-of symbiotic relationship, or dependency, between what is inside and what is outside, as well these two people—albeit, one sided. We really don’t know if the love is requited. We just have a sense that this passion flows like blood from one romantic soul to another.

(I can't get blogger to tab correctly, so "i fear" in the first stanza should be right justified.)

Did I mention that this poem is a sonnet?


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 the 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)




~ e.e. cummings



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Comments

Unbelievable. You are the second blog I have read tonight that this prompt brought forth this great e.e. cummings poem.
Unknown said…
I love this poem. In the movie "In Her Shoes" the younger sister recites it as a tribute to her older sister, at her sister's wedding. I cry every time I see that scene. It is such an incredible poem. ( I hope I haven't now messed it up for you by giving you a chick flick impression of it...)
Jo said…
I do so like mr cummings.
January said…
Jo, I think e.e. cummings is so underrated these day. But he was such a masterful technician with language.

Thanks!
January said…
Laundry Girl, I haven't seen "In Her Shoes," but I guess that's one more reason to see the film.

Myrtle, now I must find the other Sunday Scribbler who talks about this poem. When I heard the prompt, it was a no-brainer what the topic of my post would be.
Anonymous said…
One can never go wrong with cummings.

I resort to writing like him without capitalization but punctuation is must. Not that my writings are anywhere near his!

The same poem is posted here:

http://ascenderrisesabove.com/wordpress/?p=2541
writerwoman said…
Stopping by to ask how your I Promise blogroll is going. Have you been able to stop by the other poets blogs on Thursdays? Have they stopped by yours?

Please come to Poets Who Blog and let me know.

Sara
AHHHHH! I had a long and wonderful comment, and blogger ate it (Happy Thanksgiving!)--

So let me just tell you how I love e.e. cummings and of all his poetry, this is my favorite. Thanks!eyromt
paisley said…
lovely... and i thank you as well for reproducing e.e. cummings sans capitals as he would have envisioned it....
Tumblewords: said…
Interesting to read the same poem posted by two different bloggers and see the accompanying prose with each. Very nice!
thefirecat said…
Hehe. I guess that makes me the hat trick girl. I also posted this.

Would you believe I'm a writing teacher and I never noticed this was a sonnet? I've always been simply too busy eating the poem whole that I never sat down and dealt critically with it.

I also love Michael Hedges' guitar and vocal version of it. The only audio I could find was a live solo performance; I actually like the album version with harmony better.

Have I mentioned how much I love this poem?
Deb said…
Wonderful poem, and I didn't know it was his in the film. (I was suprised by how much I enjoyed that film.) Yours was a helpful introduction. I wouldn't have understood the lack of space, I don't believe.

If you want/need a meme to NaBloPoMo by, find one here:
stoney moss: Three things I think good writing should be--A Meme
Anonymous said…
Oh such a beautiful work by cummings. thank you for sharing it.

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