Adolf Hitler and frustrated by rising unemployment, became increasingly resentful over reparations payments. This resentment bolstered Hitler and his Nazi Party's popularity, particularly as the global depression in the early 1930s hindered Germany's ability to meet these reparations obligations. Beyond opposing reparations, Hitler also targeted Jews, blaming Jewish businessmen for the escalating unemployment in Germany. This marked the beginning of an ethnic-cleansing policy that would ultimately claim the lives of millions of Jews. After such atrocities, many believed humanity's innocence was lost. However, after the war ended in 1945, many Americans sought to avoid dwelling on these grim memories and instead focused on life's simpler pleasures, including love.

Imagery

For those unfamiliar with cummings or poetry in general, this poem might initially appear perplexing. Although it includes tangible images like eyes and roses, the poet's descriptions are often unconventional or contradictory. For instance, in the opening stanza, the speaker mentions things he "cannot touch because they are too near." At first glance, this seems paradoxical, as proximity usually implies the ability to touch. However, once readers understand that cummings is speaking in metaphysical terms, the poem's meaning becomes clearer, along with its imagery, which collectively evokes a sense of deep love and passion. Cummings employs two primary imagery systems in his poem—human anatomy and nature. The emphasis on anatomical imagery is evident from the second line, where the speaker refers to his beloved’s eyes. These eyes wield such influence over him that a single glance can effortlessly "unclose" him. Similarly, a "frail gesture" from the woman stirs profound emotions within the speaker. The poem concludes with anatomical imagery, as the speaker describes "the voice of your eyes" and "small hands" that rival nature's manipulative powers.

Even though nature is ultimately depicted as inferior to the speaker’s beloved in the final stanza, it plays a significant role in the poem’s imagery in the second and third stanzas. Here, the speaker employs the natural imagery of a flower’s lifecycle—blooming in spring, wilting in winter—to convey the influence his beloved has over his own life. By using natural imagery to first establish nature's power, the concluding images more effectively highlight that the woman’s influence surpasses that of nature.

Symbolism

A symbol is a tangible object, action, or gesture that also signifies an abstract idea while retaining its original identity. Symbols in literature can manifest in two forms. They can be local symbols, with meaning relevant only within a specific literary work, or universal symbols, whose significance is based on widely recognized traditional associations, irrespective of context. In this poem, cummings predominantly uses universal symbols, adding a subtext or secondary meaning. Just like the imagery, these symbols are drawn from nature. The rose, a flower commonly linked with love and romance, symbolizes the speaker’s blossoming affection. The symbolism of flowers extends beyond this; budding flowers are frequently used to represent sexual love. Since many of cummings’s works, especially his early ones, were erotic, his use of a well-known sexual symbol was likely intentional.

However, cummings subverts the traditional sexual symbolism. Typically, when an author uses a budding flower to represent sexual love, it is linked to women, who physically open themselves to men during intercourse. Cummings alludes to this symbolism by arranging a line in the second stanza like this: “you open always petal by petal myself.” Initially, the words “you open” suggest the woman is opening up. But as the line unfolds, it becomes clear that it is the woman who is doing the opening. Cummings could have used proper grammar and written the line as: “you always open me petal by petal.” Yet, by choosing this structure, cummings imparts a distinctive symbolism to the line and the poem, highlighting the influence the woman holds over the speaker.

Late 1920s–Early 1930s: The world moves closer to a global conflict, largely due to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party's rise to power.

Today: The world is involved in a war against terrorism, with significant focus on Middle Eastern leaders like Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

Late 1920s–Early 1930s: Amid the Great Depression, most Americans are preoccupied with survival and providing for their families, leaving little opportunity for contemplation of love and emotions.

Today: Even in the face of a severe recession causing widespread unemployment, people still find time to appreciate love and emotions. While some men continue to fit the tough-guy stereotype, the late 20th-century self-help movement has encouraged everyone, including men, to explore their emotions.

Late 1920s–Early 1930s: Americans are urged to be conservative regarding their sexual behavior.

Today: Despite the serious threat of deadly sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, society experiences significant sexual freedom. Sensual content is prevalent across major media platforms, including television, radio, and print advertisements.

E. E. Cummings: A Poetry Collection is an audiocassette compiling a selection of the poet’s works. Released in 2001, this collection features poems read by Cummings himself. You can find it through HarperAudio.

The Great Voices Audio Collection (1994) is an audiocassette that includes excerpts from the writings of four renowned authors: Ernest Hemingway, Anais Nin, James Joyce, and Cummings. Each author narrates their own pieces. For Cummings, he reads from his XAIPE collection. This audiobook is also available through HarperAudio.

Sources

Baum, S. V., “E. E. Cummings: The Technique of Immediacy,” in South Atlantic Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 1, January 1954, pp. 70–88.

Blackmur, R. P., “Notes on E. E. Cummings’ Language,” in the Hound & Horn, Vol. 4, No. 2, January–March 1931, pp. 163–92.

Bode, Carl, “E. E. Cummings: The World of ‘Un,’” in Critical Essays on E. E. Cummings, edited by Guy Rotella, G. K. Hall, 1984, p. 83.

cummings, e. e., Complete Poems, 1913–1962, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972.

—, “somewhere i have travelled,gladly beyond,” in 100 Selected Poems, by e. e. cummings, Grove Weidenfeld, 1959, p. 44.

Dembo, L. S., “E. E. Cummings: The Now Man,” in Critical Essays on E. E. Cummings, edited by Guy Rotella, G. K. Hall, 1984, p. 177.

Hafiz, The Gift: Poems by the Great Sufi Master, translated by Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin/Arkana, 1999, p. 88.

Harvey, Andrew, Love’s Fire: Re-Creations of Rumi, Meeramma, 1988, p. 22.

—, The Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi, Frog, 1994, p. 105.

Johnson, Robert K., “Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, Gladly Beyond: Poem by E. E. Cummings, 1931,” in Reference Guide to American Literature, 3rd ed., edited by Jim Kamp, St. James Press, 1994.

Johnson, Will, Rumi: Gazing at the Beloved, Inner Traditions, 2003, pp. 2–3.

Kidder, Rushworth M., E. E. Cummings: An Introduction to the Poetry, Columbia University Press, 1979.

Maurer, Robert E., “Latter-Day Notes on E. E. Cummings’ Language,” in the Bucknell Review, May 1955.

Further Reading

Friedman, Norman, ed., E. E. Cummings: A Collection of Critical Essays, Prentice-Hall, 1972. Friedman, a recognized authority on Cummings, presents a compilation of critical essays that explore various facets of Cummings's poetry.

Kennedy, David M., Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945, Oxford History of the United States series, No. 9, Oxford University Press, 2001. Kennedy, a history professor at Stanford, examines the era of the Great Depression and World War II, occasionally presenting arguments that challenge conventional perspectives. This detailed, accessible study draws on a vast array of both published works and primary documents to vividly depict this crucial period in American history.

Kennedy, Richard S., Dreams in the Mirror: A Biography of E. E. Cummings, Liveright, 1980. Kennedy’s insightful biography is acclaimed for its deep exploration into Cummings's life. This thorough biography also features Cummings's drawings, reflections from his daughter, and some poems that were not previously published.

Marks, Barry, E. E. Cummings, Twayne’s United States Authors Series, No. 46, Twayne, 1963. Released shortly after Cummings's passing, this book provides a biographical and critical summary of the poet’s life and literary contributions.