Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sonnets - Actualities: 3" by E.E. Cummings is a reflective and somewhat enigmatic exploration of the nature of creation, love, and the ephemeral qualities of life. The poem grapples with the ineffable—those aspects of existence that cannot be fully captured by words, music, or any other form of expression. Cummings uses paradoxes, contrasts, and striking imagery to explore the idea that some of the most profound experiences and creations exist beyond the tangible and the expressible.

The poem opens with the lines, "yours is the music for no instrument / yours the preposterous colour unbeheld." Here, Cummings attributes to the beloved something that is inherently unplayable and unseen—a "music for no instrument" and a "colour unbeheld." These phrases suggest that the beloved possesses qualities that are beyond the ordinary, that defy conventional forms of expression and understanding. The word "preposterous" implies that these qualities are so extraordinary that they seem absurd or impossible, yet they are integral to the beloved's essence.

The speaker contrasts these elusive qualities with his own "unbought contemptuous intent." This phrase suggests a certain disdain for the conventional or the commercial, an attitude of independence or indifference to the expectations of society. The speaker's intent, unpurchased and scornful, exists until "this our flesh merely shall be excelled / by speaking flower." This image evokes the idea that human life, with all its limitations, can be transcended or surpassed by something as simple and natural as a "speaking flower," a metaphor for a pure, unmediated expression of life or beauty.

Cummings then downplays the significance of his own creative output: "if i have made songs / it does not greatly matter to the sun, / nor will rain care." This acknowledgment suggests a humility or realism about the impact of human endeavors. The natural world—represented by the sun and rain—continues indifferent to human creations, whether they are songs or anything else. The "unserious twilight" refers to the time between day and night, a period that is transient and neither fully light nor dark, emphasizing the fleeting nature of both time and human creations.

The line "shadows have begun / the hair's worm huge, ecstatic, rathe" introduces a more mysterious and possibly unsettling image. Shadows suggest the onset of darkness or the approach of something hidden, while "the hair's worm" might evoke thoughts of decay or transformation, especially given the word "rathe," which means quickly or early. This imagery hints at the inevitable passage of time and the changes it brings, both physical and existential.

The poem then turns to the idea of unwritten poems: "yours are the poems i do not write." This line captures the notion that the most profound expressions of love or experience may be those that remain unspoken or unwritten, residing instead in the realm of potential or in the ineffable connection between the speaker and the beloved. In this, the speaker and the beloved have "got a bulge on death," meaning they have an advantage or a head start over mortality because their connection transcends the physical and the expressible.

Cummings concludes the sonnet with a meditation on the nature of silence and the "keenly musical light / of sudden nothing." This phrase paradoxically suggests that even "nothingness" can be filled with a kind of vibrant, resonant light, emphasizing the richness of the void or the unspoken. The poem ends with a reference to a kiss: "la bocca mia 'he / kissed wholly trembling' / or so thought the lady." This final image, quoted from Dante's "Divine Comedy", evokes the intensity and uncertainty of love. The phrase "wholly trembling" conveys the profound emotional impact of the kiss, yet the addition of "or so thought the lady" introduces a note of ambiguity, suggesting that even in such moments of connection, there is room for interpretation or doubt.

"Sonnets - Actualities: 3" by E.E. Cummings reflects on the limitations of language, art, and human expression in capturing the full depth of experience. Through his use of paradox and vivid, sometimes contradictory imagery, Cummings suggests that the most significant aspects of life and love might exist beyond what can be articulated. The poem ultimately highlights the tension between the desire to express and the recognition that some things remain ineffable, residing in a realm beyond words, music, or even thought itself.

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