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Exploring the Theme of 'Feeling is First' in E.E. Cummings' Poetry, Slides of Logic

This document delves into the significance of the theme 'feeling is first' in e.e. Cummings' poetry, discussing the antithesis between heart and head attitudes, the importance of feeling over thinking, and the organic nature of life. The document also touches upon cummings' views on growing, living in the present, and the importance of imagination.

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John
M.
G•ll
A
STUDY
OF
TWO
POEMS
"since
feeling
is
first"
Including
its
provocative
metaphoric
infrastructure
("syntax,"
"paragraph,"
"parenthesis")•redolent
of
a
composition
class---"since
feeling
is
first"
(Complete
Poems,
Liveright,
1991,
291)
remains
a
quintessential
"heart"
poem
in
the
Cummingscanon.
The
theme
of
the
poem,
clearly
enunciated
in
the
first
line,
is
a
major-and
constant
electrifying
current
in
Cummings'
work.
He
insists
over
and
over,
"exists
no
!
miracle
mightier
than
this:to
feel"
.(762).
The
theme
in
"since
feeling
is
first"
is
constructed
on
the
sharp
antithesis
between
the"heart"
•ttitude
ofthe
lover"i"
and
the
head
notion
of
one
"who
pays
any
attention
/
to
the
syntax
of
things."
For
this
"head"
kind
of
person
too
often
"logic
thwarted
life"
(799).
Thus
kissing
"wholly"
is
feeling;
paying
"any
attention
/to
the
syntax
of
things"
is
thinking,
being
logical
and
pragmatic
and
cerebral,
and
not
being
committed
enough
to
feeling
to
be
a
complete
lover.
Is
Cummings
then
saying
"never
think,"
is
he
totally
rejecting
reason,
is
he
anti-intellectual
as
is
so
often
charged,
and
does
he
really
want
us
to
toss
away
our
books
(including
those
he
slaved
over
to
write)?
My
answer
is
no.
The
poem
says
"feeling
is
first."
It
does
not
say
feeling
is
everything:
there
is
nothing
else.
I
am
contending
that
there
can
be
no
first
without
a
second.
It
is
true
that
one
of
Cummings'
"five
simple
facts"
is
that
there
is
"the
holy
miraculous
difference
between
/
firstrate
&
second"
(803),
but
this
does
not
deny
the
total
existence
of
a
second.
And
so
with
feeling
first
and
thinking
even
a
distant
second,
Cummings
in
one
of
his
loveliest
sonnets
insists,
"only
love
/
immortally
occurs
beyond
the
mind"
(576).
I
stress
the
word
beyond.
It
occurs
a
number
of
times
in
Cummings'
poetry
in
this
same
relationship
"beyond
the
mind"
as
in
"beyond
logic"
(262),
"beyond
doomed
thought"
(138),
and
especially
in
the
lovely
"in
time
of
all
sweet
thingsbeyond
/
whatever
mind
may
comprehend"
(688).
Feeling
is
first,
then;
beyondmind,
beyond
that
mind,
that
deceiving
mi
.nd,
for
"life
is
more
true
than
reason
will
deceive"
(592).
And
so,
because
"feeling
is
first,"
Cummings
condemns
that
person
who
"does
not
have
to
feel
because
he
thinks"
(406).
And
in
another
context
the
poet
argues,
"love
is
a
deeper
season
/
than
.reason"
(578).
Tree:
but
even
reason
must
have
its
season.
Feeling
is
beyond,
farbeyond,
thinking,
but
it
does
not
obliterate
it.
A
whole
person
feels
but
also,
at
appropriate
times,
reasons.
October,
1996
Spring
,,
105
pf3
pf4

Partial preview of the text

Download Exploring the Theme of 'Feeling is First' in E.E. Cummings' Poetry and more Slides Logic in PDF only on Docsity!

John M. G•ll

A STUDY^ OF^ TWO^ POEMS

"since feeling^ is^ first"

Including its provocative metaphoric infrastructure ("syntax," "paragraph,"

"parenthesis")•redolent of a composition class---"since feeling is first"

(Complete Poems, Liveright, 1991, 291)^ remains a quintessential^ "heart"

poem in^ the^ Cummingscanon.^ The^ theme^ of^ the^ poem,^ clearly^ enunciated

in the first^ line,^ is a major-and^ constant electrifying^ current in Cummings'

work. He insists over and over, "exists no! miracle mightier than this:to feel"

The theme in "since feeling is first" is constructed on the sharp antithesis

between the"heart" •ttitude^ ofthe^ lover"i" and^ the^ head^ notion of^ one "who

pays any attention^ /^ to^ the^ syntax^ of^ things."^ For^ this^ "head"^ kind^ of^ person

too often^ "logic^ thwarted^ life"^ (799).^ Thus^ kissing^ "wholly"^ is^ feeling;^ paying

"any attention /to^ the^ syntax of^ things"^ is thinking,^ being^ logical^ and

pragmatic and cerebral, and not being committed enough to feeling^ to be

a complete^ lover.

Is Cummings then^ saying "never think,"^ is^ he^ totally^ rejecting^ reason, is

he anti-intellectual as is so often charged, and does he really want us to toss

away our books^ (including^ those^ he^ slaved^ over to^ write)?^ My^ answer is^ no.

The poem says "feeling^ is first."^ It does^ not say feeling^ is everything: there

is nothing^ else.^ I am contending^ that^ there^ can be^ no first^ without^ a second.

It is true that one of^ Cummings' "five^ simple^ facts"^ is that^ there^ is "the holy

miraculous difference between / firstrate & second" (803), but this does not

deny the^ total^ existence of^ a second.^ And^ so with^ feeling^ first^ and thinking

even a distant^ second,^ Cummings^ in^ one of^ his^ loveliest^ sonnets insists,

"only love^ /^ immortally^ occurs beyond^ the^ mind"^ (576).^ I stress the word

beyond. It occurs a number of times in Cummings' poetry in this same

relationship "beyond the mind" as in "beyond logic" (262),^ "beyond

doomed thought" (138), and especially in the lovely "in time of all sweet

thingsbeyond /^ whatever mind may comprehend" (688).^ Feeling is first,

then; beyondmind, beyond that mind, that deceiving mi .nd, for "life is more

true than^ reason will^ deceive"^ (592).^ And^ so, because^ "feeling^ is^ first,"

Cummings condemns^ that^ person who^ "does^ not have^ to feel^ because^ he

thinks" (406). And in another context the poet argues, "love is a deeper

season /^ than^ .reason"^ (578).^ Tree:^ but^ even reason must^ have^ its^ season.

Feeling is beyond, farbeyond, thinking, but it does not obliterate it. A whole

person feels^ but^ also,^ at^ appropriate^ times,^ reasons.

October, 1996 Spring ,, 105

That (^) Cummings (^) was himself (^) "man thinking" (^) at times is revealed (^) not only in the^ ideas^ ofhis^ writing, its vocabulary, (^) structure, stylistics, but also (^) in the elaborate meditation, (^) concern, pondering, and (^) thinking exemplified, for example, (^) in the (^) "Notes and Drafts" for "Buffalo Bill's and the (^) "r'INAL (^) SCmM• for (^) No Thanks, both presented (^) in Richard (^) Kennedy's (^) E. E. Cummings Revisited (57,^ 96),^ and in the painstakingly worked-over (^) version of"rosetree, rosetree" reproduced (^) in Norman Friedman's (^) The Art of His Poetry (138). Cummings attacks "the (^) syntax of things," but this (^) is (^) not to (^) say that he abandons (^) reason or never follows (^) syntax in his writing. (^) He is talking about a way of^ life,^ not^ a way of^ writing.^ His^ own writing,^ vibrant^ asit^ is^ with feeling, (^) is reasoned (^) in the (^) sense that (^) it is organized, it is coherent, (^) it has

accessible meaning, and most of the time it is syntactical at least with those

"Syntactic Deviances" and those (^) "Syntactic Innovations" that (^) Irene R. Fairley has identified and exemplified. Anyone, then, "who (^) pays any attention / (^) to the (^) syntax ofthings" (^) is being unduly rational and logical (^) at (^) a most inappropriate time and will, (^) conse- quently (^) "never wholly kiss (^) you." When (^) we are faced with (^) a crucial life decision, (^) Cummings vigorously advises (^) a "heart" rather (^) than (^) a "head" choice. The etymology, of (^) syntaxcan be illuminating here: related (^) to tactics,

the word stems from the Greek meaning to arrange troops for battle as a

General would. (^) The cogitation and practicality involved (^) are obviously crucial for (^) any General facing (^) an enemy army, but such (^) syntax, such thinking and (^) practicality in love, (^) mean only (^) a partial, incomplete (^) lover. While the (^) "i" of the (^) poem is undoubtedly (^) regarded (^) as a "fool" by the (^) one "who (^) pays any attention / (^) to the (^) syntax of things," the (^) "i" paradoxically revels in being (^) a fool. (^) To be (^) a feeling (^) person, a more complete individual,

"my blood^ approves" he^ insists. The superiority of blood over brain, that is,

"my blood approves" (^) as opposed (^) to the scorned (^) "gesture of (^) my brain," carries (^) on the (^) contentions of this feeling-first (^) lover, this self-styled "fool," who lives (^) and loves (^) more "wholly." (^) He does (^) so because, (^) as a fool, he (^) can move beyond^ mind,^ beyond^ "the^ syntax of^ things."^ It^ is^ this^ fool,^ then,^ that is wise: the wise-fool paradox that (^) is the incredible and miraculous foolish- ness of^ "All^ lose,whole^ find"^ (556).^ This^ is^ the^ foolishness^ of^ love. Another antithesis (^) in "since feeling (^) is first," built around similar (^) opposi- tions, (^) comes in the (^) injunctions "Don't cry" and (^) "laugh." This (^) segment of the poem includes^ one of^ my favorite^ lines^ in^ all^ of^ Cummings:^ "we^ are for^ each other." Teaching (^) composition, I often (^) urged vigorous verbs. (^) Here is (^) a poet with (^) a compelling and precise vocabulary, (^) a subtle selector ofjust (^) the telling word, choosing (^) one ofthe weakest ofweak (^) verbs. But (^) note the accumulated

meanings that^ aregamers here: "we are for each other." We who are in love

find, the verb (^) sings, (^) our very are-ness, our being in each other. (^) Or, (^) as Cummings (^) put it in "because (^) it's / (^) Spring":

(^106) • Spring (^) Issue #5,

what's wholly marvelous (^) my Darling is that^ you & are more than^ you

&i(be

ca us

e It's^ we)^ (782)

Reinforcing the point is that^ magnificent^ be^ and^ us emerging^ from^ because. In addition,^ one of^ the^ love^ sonnets insists^ that^ love^ makes^ the^ loving^ me

of the poem "morethanme"^ (807).^ This^ is^ the^ miraculous^ enhancement^ and

transcendence of love: "we (^) are for^ each^ other."

The poem concludes^ with^ two precise^ statements. The^ first,^ "life's^ not^ a

paragraph," reminds^ us (as^ we also^ recall^ our old^ composition^ classes)^ that life (^) is (^) not (^) one topic with (^) a topic (^) sentence, developed^ with^ unity,^ coherence, and emphasis. In his (^) cogent "in time of^ daffodils"^ Cummings^ argues that^ "the goal of^ living^ is (^) to grow"^ (688);^ consequently^ a severely^ limited^ paragraph of life (^) cannot contain the^ constant growth^ and^ the^ concomitant^ change^ he advocates. He is arguing^ for^ a shifting,^ multifaceted,^ growing^ and^ changing meaning in^ life,^ not (^) an ordedy,^ rational,^ unified,^ and^ single^ meaning^ that^ can be caged^ in (^) a paragraph.^ Life^ moves beyond;^ "life's^ not^ a paragraph." Etymologically, paragraph^ means a marking^ off,^ a note placed^ in^ the

margin beside^ the^ writing to indicate^ another^ start. Life,^ Cummings^ is

insisting, is always^ a new start, (^) a new meaning,^ a new topic^ sentence, another (^) new paragraph.

The second statement^ at the^ end^ of^ the^ poem, its^ last^ line,^ "And^ death

think is (^) no parenthesis,"^ helps^ convince^ me that,^ despite^ the.^ reference^ to "your eyelids'^ flutter,"^ and^ despite^ the^ injunctions^ "Don't^ cry"^ and^ "laugh, leaning back in (^) my arms," this^ is^ not (^) a seduction^ poem. Far^ too much^ in "since.feeling (^) is first" lies beyond^ eroticism. The^ poem illuminates,^ rather, a way of^ living^ and^ an^ approach^ to^ dying. It is later^ in his^ career that^ Cummings^ more fully^ distinguishes^ between death and dying. Twenty-four^ years after^ "since^ feeling^ is^ first"^ appeared^ in is 5(1926),^ Cummings^ published^ "dying^ is^ fine)but^ Death"^ in^ XA/PE,^ which makes this^ distinction:

October, 1996 Spring^ • 107

(67). (^) In other words, (^) in that persistent theme of (^) Cummings, things (^) are not what they (^) seem: appearance belies reality. (^) Someones and (^) everyones, we recall, ".slept their dream" (515). (^) Part of (^) growing, Cummings is insisting, (^) is to live^ one's^ dreams,^ in^ the^ real^ world^ of^ so, not seem..The trick (^) here, of course, is^ to know^ which^ is^ which.^ The^ paradox^ is profound. As (^) Cummings puts it^ later^ in^ 95Poems, "the^ departure of everything (^) real is the / arrival of everything (^) true" (720). (^) While the real (^) may be (^) seem, the (^) true is certainly (^) so. Roses, Cummings continues, shock (^) us with (^) amazement (^) as (^) we realize that, (^) as we grow to apprehend (^) and (^) savor our now and here fully, (^) we can dwell in paradise (^) now and here. (^) It is critical (^) in Cummings' view of life (^) to be alive (^) in each (^) now:

infinite also

ourselves (^) exist (^) sans

shallbe or was (755)

Paradise (^) is (^) not necessarily, then, (^) some mental (^) construct of (^) a far-off, (^) forever, after-death (^) eternity ("such (^) a flower (^) is love's (^) any now" [576|), (^) but (^) is rather the joyous affirmation^ and (^) acceptance of (^) what is, what truly, (^) is, what (^) is (^) now, what (^) is here--or (^) in (^) a word, (^) "yes." So (^) yes beyond (^) •fmoves (^) to this (^) now and here because (^) the (^) yes (^) person knows (^) how (^) to (^) grow and thus (^) can dream the world (^) to so. This (^) is (^) to be (^) amazed "with paradise." (^) Yes, then, is aliveness and growth: (^) "i imagine that (^) yes is / the only living (^) thing" (528). (^) Cummings insists, indeed, (^) to summarize the point, (^) "yes is (^) a pleasant (^) country: / if's (^) wintry" (578). The affirmation (^) and (^) acceptance of life (^) now and here (^) is growth (^) to self- transcendence and the (^) paradise that is. One (^) can gain this (^) paradise through (^) yes, but (^) it is (^) a yes that (^) must (^) move beyond (^) ff. The choice (^) is clear: (^) Cummings (^) says that "the greedy (^) the people" act "as^ if^ as can yes"^ (801).^ Living •^ living^ as •f(if only (^) I had been (^) a base- ball (^) player, the dissatisfied (^) teacher might think), all this, (^) which is (^) not yes, negates growth.^ Cummings decided^ on this (^) as a boy. (^) One of his first (^) poems, entitled "If," (^) essentially makes this (^) point: "For if (^) here (^) was there / (^) We wouldn't (^) be (^) we" (1064). (^) As this (^) poem is from his Cambridge (^) Latin School years (1908-11),^ we can see that^ the^ feelings^ involved lasted (^) a lifetime. I have discussed (^) "in time of (^) all (^) sweet things beyond! whatever (^) mind (^) may comprehend" (^) in (^) my remarks (^) on •since feeling (^) is first." About (^) seekandfind let (^) me (^) say that (^) growth in Cummings ("the goal of (^) living is (^) to grow") demands not standing^ still^ on established^ dogmas, rituals, (^) answers, but (^) moving beyond (^) to (^) new perspectives, (^) new truths, (^) or, as Cummings (^) put it another way, as we have^ seen, "life's^ not (^) a paragraph"^ (291).^ Denying, for^ example, "the merely undeniable (^) fact that (^) two times (^) two is four," (^) he •rejoices (^) in the purely (^) irresistible truth" of his (^) title (^) ts 5 (221).

(^110) • Spring (^) Issue #

As I approach^ the^ conclusion^ of^ these^ remarks (^) on "in (^) time of daffodils(who know," let (^) me pause for (^) a moment to remind (^) you that (^) a lovely (^) musical version of^ this^ magnificent^ poem has^ been^ prepared by Catherine (^) A. Richards and printed in Sp•ng (New (^) Series Number (^) 2, 29-32).

And now I turn to that last tercet of the poem, to that "mystery to be!

(when time from (^) time shall (^) set (^) us free)," and (^) I approach it through

Cummings' theme^ of^ timelessness.^ In another of his 95 Poems he pro-

claimed •there is (^) a time for timelessness" (683). Indeed, (^) one of his (^) most splendid (^) sonnets, the penultimate (^) poem of (^) the (^) same volume, begins:

being (^) to timelessness (^) as it's (^) to time, love did (^) no more begin than love will end (768)

And (^) so at this (^) moment of (^) time, in this (^) now and here, (^) we dream of timelessness (^) as we consider his final (^) injunction, "forgetting me,remember me."

I feel^ we can note about Estlin Cummings himself a timelessness even in

that (^) process of forgetting that inevitably (^) occurs after (^) one's death, (^) as

occurred to those alter egos "anyone" and noone" (515). Fewer and fewer

of those privileged (^) to know (^) Cummings in (^) person are still (^) with (^) us. Yet throughout (^) our time, and especially (^) on this (^) 100th Anniversary celebration of his birth, (^) we do remember him. Somehow here, (^) now, feel (^) Cummings saying (^) to all, (^) to each of (^) us gathered (^) in his (^) spirit: "forgetting (^) me,remember me."

--Palo Alto, California

Works (^) Cited Fairley, (^) Irene R., E. E. Cummings and (^) Ungrammar.. A Study of (^) Syntactic Deviances in his^ Poems. New York:^ Watermill^ Publishers,^ 1975. Friedman, (^) Norman. E. E. Cummings: The (^) Art of (^) His Poetry. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins (^) Press, 1960. Kennedy, Richard (^) S. E. E. Cummings Revisited. (^) New York: Twayne Pub- lishers, 1994. Richards, Catherine A. "Scoring (^) Cummings." Sp•ng, New Series Number (^2) (October 1993): (^) 20-33.

October, (^1996) Spring (^) • 111