I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME A poem stylistic

E.E CUMMINGS analysis

PORTRAIT OF THE POET
Name: Edward Estin Cummings
Date of Birth: October 14, 1894
Died: September 03, 1962
Spouses: Marion Morehouse (m. 1934–1962), Anne
Minnerly Barton (m. 1929–1932), Elaine Orr (m. 1924–
1924)
Works: e.e. cummings Self-Portrait, Noise Number 13,
Scofield Thayer, Untitled, Sound
I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME
The poem 'i carry your heart with me' is
immediately recognizable as a Cummings poem for
several reasons. First, we must notice the title.
Cummings was known for his use of lowercase,
sometimes even using it in his name, as in e e
cummings. Cummings was a Modernist, and
Modernists believed in stripping away all that was
unnecessary in a poem in order to showcase its form.
I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME
Using only lowercase, as Cummings does, is not only
a way of stripping away the clutter, but also a
means of forcing us to alter our perception. When a
poem doesn't look the way we expect it to look, we
are forced to pay attention. This is what Cummings
does right from the beginning with his unusual title.
I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME
Using only lowercase, as Cummings does, is not only
a way of stripping away the clutter, but also a
means of forcing us to alter our perception. When a
poem doesn't look the way we expect it to look, we
are forced to pay attention. This is what Cummings
does right from the beginning with his unusual title.
FORM AND RHYME SCHEME
Cummings' desire was to make people notice their
own lives, to break from the frenzy of our rushing
world and all the rules that hold us in place. He
accomplishes this by using a few different
techniques in his poem, such as experimenting with
form. A close look at 'i carry your heart with me'
reveals that the poem is actually a sonnet.
FORM AND RHYME SCHEME
Sonnets are traditionally poems written in 14 lines with some type
of rhyme scheme and a final rhyming couplet. Cummings takes the
form of the sonnet and reinvents it, for example with his use of
internal rhyme in the first stanza.
'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'
FORM AND RHYME SCHEME
Note the use of the word 'dear,' buried
in the middle of the third line, to rhyme
with 'fear.' Most sonnets use end rhyme,
which is when the words at the end of
lines form a rhyme scheme with each
other.
FORM AND RHYME SCHEME
In the following stanzas, however, Cummings employs a
more traditional rhyme scheme. Take special notice of the
words that end each line.
'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'
FORM AND RHYME SCHEME
While 'true' and 'you' are emblematic of
pure rhyme, 'want' and 'meant' illustrate
slant rhyme, which is when the rhyme is
close, but not spot-on.
SUBJECT AND PUNCTUATION
Cummings wrote in experimental ways, but
his subject matter was often traditional and
straightforward. Topics such as war, death,
and sex appealed to him, but his favorite
was love. Cummings has been called one
of the best love poets of his time.
SUBJECT AND PUNCTUATION
An unmistakable idiosyncrasy of the poet is the use -
or rather misuse - of punctuation. Cummings used
punctuation to emphasize his subject. In the poem 'i
carry your heart with me,' there are no spaces
between the punctuation marks, suggesting a close,
intimate feeling, like when you love someone so
deeply you cannot bear to have any space between
you.