it may not always be so; and i say
that your lips, which i have loved, should touch
another’s, and your dear strong fingers clutch
his heart, as mine in time not far away;
if on another’s face your sweet hair lay
in such a silence as i know, or such
great writhing words as, uttering overmuch,
stand helplessly before the spirit at bay;
if this should be, i say if this should be—
you of my heart, send me a little word;
that i may go unto him, and take his hands,
saying, Accept all happiness from me.
Then shall i turn my face, and hear one bird
sing terribly afar in the lost lands.
You may have noticed that there are two capital letters in this sonnet; one in the word Accept, which is quoted speech and one to begin the final sentence. It can be read in various places that he wanted his name only to be written in lower-case but it isn’t so. It was his publishers who wanted to do that (although he readily agreed). He also used capitals when signing his name. But enough of that – let’s discuss the poem! He is writing about losing the love of his life to another man and conjecturing what this would be like. “If this should be”…”send me a little word; that I may go unto him”.
He is virtually saying that he would give his blessing although he would be extremely sad – “Accept all happiness from me”. In other words, if you love someone let them go. If you really love someone, then their happiness is your primary desire – even if you are not included in that love. A very generous attitude don’t you think? Or maybe it’s paranoia...
8 comments:
I presumed it was sometimes unclear what e.e.cummings was saying because he was struggling with the pain of WW1, a failed marriage and a child who didn't know who her dad was - as you mention. But I don't think it is a very generous attitude... I just feel so sorry for him.
Hels: He had a lot of failings and has been accused of many things including antisemitism. However, the case is not clear and he sought to say that. He did have a tough time with life in general. One might say that to write a moving poem about something that had not actually happened reveals a lack of self-confidence.
Hello Bazza, Well, Mr. Cummings did not seem to fight too hard for his "loved one." In this case, his vaunted generosity could be read as relief to be rid of something. It can also be read as sarcasm. Of course, as with all poetry, it can be taken seriously, and its meaning can be extended in any direction the reader desires. For instance, he could be referring to passing on his environment and traditions to the next generation.
--Jim
Jim: I really do believe that it is legitimate to make one's own interpretation of a poem (or any creative endeavour), even if it involves something that the poet didn't know was there! It is quite possible that e e cummings took himself too seriously but I am content to take this one on face value.
Hi Bazza - if only ...
Thanks for this thought provoking post ... interesting - cheers Hilary
Hilary: Hello to you! I often find that shorter poems, such as sonnets, go the deepest into the human psyche.
I went through a phase years ago where I read a lot of e e cummings and Rod McKuen poetry. Not sure if it was because I was a huge fan, or if I was being "trendy." But I do still like their stuff, and I like the one you chose. It does seem, although he's merely speculating as to what he'd do if his lady love left him for someone else, that he's rather complacent about the idea. Like... "Oh, well. C'est la vie." If he let his love know how much she meant to him, perhaps she'd never leave... :)
Susan: Maybe he thought he was being gallant but I think that there is something in the epigram, "If you love someone let them go"!
It's possibly the most selfless thing one can do...
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