Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Orientale: 2" by E.E. Cummings is a vivid and intense poem that evokes a mysterious, almost ritualistic atmosphere filled with dark and primal imagery. The poem explores themes of desire, worship, and the unsettling intersection between the sacred and the profane. Through its fragmented structure and evocative language, Cummings creates a scene that is both haunting and enigmatic.

The poem begins with the image of "lean candles hunger in / the silence," immediately setting a tone of anticipation and need. The candles, often symbols of spiritual devotion or meditation, are described as "hungry," suggesting an intense, almost desperate longing. The silence in which they "hunger" heightens the tension, making the scene feel charged with unspoken desires.

The next line introduces a "brown god," who "smiles between greentwittering." This god, unlike the benevolent deities of traditional religious imagery, is associated with darker, more ambiguous forces. The description of the god as "brown" might evoke the earth or something more primal and elemental. The "greentwittering" further adds to the sense of a natural, yet eerie, presence—perhaps the sound of leaves or creatures moving in the darkness, a sound that is both alive and unsettling.

Cummings then shifts to more disturbing imagery: "smokes from broken eyes / a sound / of strangling beasts and bestial / grovelling." The "smokes from broken eyes" suggests a vision clouded by pain or suffering, as if the very act of seeing is associated with destruction. The "strangling beasts" and "bestial grovelling" evoke a scene of violence and degradation, where primal instincts are unleashed in a setting that is more hellish than holy.

The poem's structure, with its use of enjambment and fragmented lines, mirrors the chaotic and disjointed nature of the scene being described. The "purple / dark- / ness" in which this takes place adds to the otherworldly atmosphere, with purple often symbolizing both royalty and mysticism, yet here it feels more oppressive than majestic.

The introduction of a "worshipper / prostrate within twitching shadow" brings a human element into the scene. This worshipper, "lolls / sobbing / with lust," is depicted in a state of utter abandonment, driven by uncontrollable desire. The word "prostrate" suggests complete submission, possibly in a religious or ritualistic context, but the "twitching shadow" indicates that this act of worship is far from serene—it is filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and physical agitation.

The "sobbing / with lust" creates a powerful contrast between sorrow and desire, as if the worshipper is caught between two overwhelming forces. Lust, often seen as a purely physical or even sinful emotion, is here portrayed as something that brings the worshipper to tears, blurring the line between pleasure and pain, spirituality and carnality.

"Orientale: 2" is a deeply evocative poem that immerses the reader in a world where the sacred and the profane are intertwined. Cummings uses rich, sensory language to create a scene that is as unsettling as it is compelling. The imagery of the "brown god," the "strangling beasts," and the "worshipper" sobbing with lust suggests a complex exploration of the darker aspects of human nature, where desire and devotion can become indistinguishable from one another. Through this poem, Cummings invites readers to confront the raw, primal forces that lie beneath the surface of civilized life, forces that are both awe-inspiring and terrifying in their intensity.

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