i carry your heart by E E Cummings is a poem which explores intense and lasting love. Cummings’ adaptation of a Shakespearean sonnet provides a modernist twist to a more traditional form.
This study guide is written for students and teachers of English Literature, particularly those studying CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Relationships Anthology. For more study guides from this anthology, check out the Relationships page, or the list of poems in the series at the bottom of this guide. If you are studying one of the other anthologies in the CCEA Literature course, check them out here: IDENTITY Anthology or CONFLICT Anthology.
i carry your heart
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
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
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
What is 'i carry your heart' all about?
Stanza 1
In short, this is a love poem which uses imagery to try to describe the feeling of being united in love. In verse one, the speaker opens with the extended metaphor which is repeated throughout, that he carries his love’s heart in his own heart. The imagery intertwines the two people together, as if they are now one person rather than two.
Stanza 2
In verse two, the sentiment of love that lasts through time, space and imagination is pursued through the metaphor of a tree. The growth of the tree is used to depict the dimensions of love, which are impossible to imagine.
Stanza 3
The final verse is only one line, and it echoes the opening line, emphasising the message of the poem, which is that the love between the speaker and his love is intense, unifying and eternal.
Context of 'i carry your heart'
E E Cummings's life, education and career
Edward Estlin Cummings was an American artist and writer from Massachusetts (USA). He was born on 14th October 1894 to Edward Cummings, a Harvard University professor who later became a Unitarian minister. Cummings grew up in a creative and supportive environment where his talents were encouraged in his childhood.
Cummings enrolled in Harvard University in 1911 and graduated with a BA in 1915 and an MA in 1916. At Harvard, he was inspired by Modernist poets such as Ezra Pound and a family friend William James.
In 1917, as WWI took hold across Europe, Cummings enlisted in France as a volunteer ambulance driver. Cummings ended up in a prison camp suspected of espionage. You can read more of Cummings’ experiences in WW1 here.
Cummings was married twice during his life: to Elaine Orr Thayer in 1924, then to Anne Minnerly Barton in 1929 until 1932. However, his most significant relationship began in 1934 and lasted the rest of his life, 28 years. This relationship was with fashion model Marion Morehouse. While the couple never officially married, they lived together for nearly three decades.
During his life, Cummings was honoured by the Academy of American Poets Fellowship, the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Ford Foundation, among many others. He was a prolific poet, writing over 2900 poems in his life.
E E Cummings died on 3rd September 1962 in Boston, USA.
Context of 'i carry your heart': Modernist Poetry
‘i carry your heart’ was written and published in 1952, which is technically just outside of the period of Modernism in poetry, which is broadly between 1890 and 1950. However, E E Cummings was a Modernist poet, and so the date of publication of this poem does not mean it is not to be considered as ‘Modernist’.
Cummings and had a close friendship and letter correspondence with the most famous Modernist poet, Ezra Pound. You can read more of their correspondence here.
Modernism, like all periods of art and literature, is a response to the surrounding context: changes and events in history, politics, philosophy, religion, inventions, society, art, music, etc, all impact upon the literature which is produced out of the period. The period of Modernism in poetry is complex, unsettling and disjointed, and Modernism rises up out of this context.
Cummings’ style is identified by his experimentation with form and punctuation, taking a Modernist approach to common punctuation, syntax and grammar rules, which we can see in ‘I Carry Your Heart’. This approach challenges the conventional forms, breaking down the value of grammar, punctuation, capitalisation and syntax in favour of a reader-led interpretation. Cummings challenges the established forms, looking for meaning elsewhere, as is typical of Modernist writers.
Interesting ideas as to why Cummings makes extensive use of lower case letters are explored by Paul Muldoon in his New Yorker article (23/2/14) ‘Capital Case’. Here is an extract:
“What do all these typographical high jinks signify? Perhaps the disregard for punctuation allows the reader a more active role in the process of reading, providing the opportunity to entertain multiple interpretations. The conceit may even play, in an egalitarian spirit, on the idea of capitalization in the economic sense, as if there might be a relationship between upper and lower cases and upper and lower classes.”
Line-by-line analysis
Stanza 1
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
- The opening personal pronoun ‘I’ opens this poem with a strong lyrical voice.
- Cummings’ unique style with capitalisation and syntax are made clear from this opening line. The choice to use lower case letters continues throughout the poem. The lower case ‘i’ is used to diminish the speaker’s ego, suggesting his humility.
- Repetition of ‘i carry’ emphasises the deep, inseparable bond of the two: one carried inside the other.
- Brackets, or parentheses, are used to create a visual within the typography, with one statement enclosed within another, just as one love’s heart is enclosed within the other’s.
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
- Enjambment is used to disrupt the flow of the lines and also creating the effect of a never-ending sentence, just like the never-ending love of the speaker.
- This line again plays with the visual effect of the typography: the phrase ‘i am never without it’ is enclosed within two opposite brackets, giving it a sense of being enclosed or surrounded.
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
- Direct address is used in a highly intimate and tender way with the phrase ‘my dear’
- Parallelism is used in ‘anywhere i go you go’ which stresses the inseparable physical and emotional bond between the two.
by only me is your doing, my darling)
- Here, the speaker claims that any action he does, it not really him alone but credit is hers too, as she is with him in his heart.
- ‘my darling’ echoes the ‘my dear’ of the previous line, emphasising the tenderness of the moment.
- Alliteration of ‘dear’, ”done’, ‘doing’ and ‘darling’ creates fluency along this line and adds weight to the words, emphasising the importance of their sentiment.
i fear
- This short line is problematic in terms of the structure of the sonnet, however, metrically it does fit into the overall structure: the line before and the line after are 11 syllables, so when these two syllables are added, the sum is no more than the 12 syllable lines surrounding it.
- ‘i fear’ on its own does create some tension, but without a pause after it due to lack of punctuation, the line flows straight into the next one and tension is eased.
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
- In this line, the speaker expresses fearlessness, attributing his sense of security to his beloved.
- The use of “fate” is crucial, indicating that the beloved determines the speaker’s destiny.
- The possessive pronoun “My sweet” serves as a term of endearment, adding to the emotional depth and linking the speaker and the love together.
- Brackets again personalise the statement, making it an intimate revelation.
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
- The speaker rejects the idea of wanting anything beyond the beloved.
- Tender adjectives such as “beautiful” and possessive noun phrases such as “my world” and “my true” convey authenticity and devotion.
- The repetition of “world” signifies the completeness and sufficiency of the beloved in the speaker’s life.
- Again, brackets are used to allow moments of direct speech to the beloved.
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
- This line uses a metaphor to convey the timeless and universal significance of the beloved. The moon and the sun, celestial bodies often associated with love and constancy, represent the beloved’s eternal importance.
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
- Personification of the sun singing adds a lyrical quality, emphasising the beauty and joy the beloved brings to the speaker’s life.
Stanza 2
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
- There is a slight tonal shift here with the introduction of a mysterious element.
- The superlative adjective “deepest” suggests something profoundly significant and intimate, shared only between the speaker and the beloved.
- The reader is drawn into the poem here, as they are being given access to a secret that nobody else has. In this way, the love between the two is shared with those around them, in the way true love often spreads to out to those around them.
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
- This line is rich in metaphor and imagery, creating natural pictures in the reader’s mind.
- The “root of the root” and “bud of the bud” symbolise the foundational and cyclical nature of love.
- Repetition and parallel phrases are used here to create structure and emphasis in the line, reinforcing the idea of layers and depths in love.
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
- The “tree called life” suggests that love is a vital, growing force that transcends human understanding (“higher than soul can hope or mind can hide”).
- There are vague echoes of Biblical imagery here, in the ‘tree called life’, reminiscent of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. This allusion to the Bible elevates the love of the speaker to something beyond the earthly and fleeting, to something eternal and spiritual.
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
- Repetition in the structure of the two phrases “soul can hope” and “mind can hide” creates a beautiful balance in this line. The rhetorical highs of the poem elevate the love described.
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
- Here, love is depicted as a cosmic force, maintaining the order of the universe (“keeping the stars apart”). This grand imagery elevates the significance of the beloved and their love, portraying it as something wondrous and fundamental to existence.
Stanza 3
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
- The poem concludes by returning to the opening line, creating a circular frame structure that emphasises continuity and eternal love.
- The repetition of this line as a final, one-line stanza achieves emphasis by isolating the line, highlighting the unwavering and inseparable nature of the speaker’s love.
Analysis of form and structure
Verse structure
Many students will draw lines between the sonnet form and the theme of love. Sonnets are traditionally associated with love, nature, death and strong emotions. This poem certainly fits the theme of love. Despite the clear sonnet form, there are adaptations.
The biggest issue in labelling this poem is the extra line, which makes this a fifteen-line free verse poem rather than a fourteen-line sonnet. The free-verse form allows for a more natural, conversational tone that mirrors the genuine and heartfelt nature of the speaker’s feelings.
In ‘i carry your heart’, Cummings echoes a Shakespearean sonnet but with variations. The opening quatrain has a fifth line, then another quatrain, followed by a quintain and finally a single line. This verse structure is similar enough to recall the structure of a sonnet, but different enough to be labelled ‘free verse’.
It is perhaps odd that a Modernist poet such as Cummings has selected a sonnet form to express love, which seems like a very established and conventional choice. The following quote from Paul Muldoon seeks to clarify the issue:
“Despite his bon mot [clever witticism] in “nonlecture four” that “great men burn bridges before they come to them,” many of Cummings’s most effective poems are sonnets, or, anyway, sonnet-like, implying that he’s less iconoclastic than has often been supposed—including by himself. Certainly, the core of his belief system was much more staid than his explosions of font. The poems gravitate toward the time-honored themes set down by Yeats: ‘sex and the dead'”. From Paul Muldoon’s Capital Case.
Rhyme
‘i carry your heart’ uses slant rhymes as well as full rhymes to hold mostly to the traditional rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG).
The main difference is the extra line (‘I fear’) in line 5 which means that line 4 (‘darling’) is left out of the rhyme scheme. However, on closer inspection and depending on the accent, ‘darling’ (or darlin’) does rhyme with ‘in’, and it picks up on the ‘d’ and ‘n’ consonant sounds of ‘done’, creating auditory connections between lines one, three and four.
While the opening six lines make use of slant rhymes, which makes the rhyme harder to hear, full rhymes are introduced in lines seven and nine (‘true’ and ‘you’), lines ten and twelve (‘knows’ and ‘grows’) and lines fourteen and fifteen (‘apart’ and ‘heart’). These full rhyming sounds towards the end of the poem give a stronger impact, perhaps reflecting the strength of the love described, consolidating the meaning of the poem.
Rhythm
Another adaptation to a traditional Shakespearean sonnet is in the rhythm of the poem. Instead of following iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line, organised into five pairs of syllables in the order unstressed followed by stressed), Cummings writes in longer lines of mostly 12 syllables, with some 11 and some 13. These additional syllables break the traditional rules of sonnets, reflecting the Modernist ideal of ‘making it new’ ie an older form made new for a new time.
Despite the longer lines, Cummings’ poem mostly follows the pentameter meter of five stressed syllables, giving structure and fluency to each line. For example, in lines 10 and 11, we see that the extra syllables are unstressed, holding on to the five stresses of pentameter, but with closer resemblance to a dactylic rhythm:
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
Themes in 'i carry your heart'
Love and imtimacy
The poem emphasises a deep, all-encompassing love between the speaker and his love. The repetition of “i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)” underscores the intimate bond they share, suggesting that their love is a fundamental part of the speaker’s existence and physical body.
The beloved is depicted as central to the speaker’s world, embodying everything meaningful and significant. The line “here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud” suggests that the beloved is the fundamental essence of the speaker’s life.
Eternal and transcendent love
The speaker’s love is portrayed as timeless and transcendent, going beyond the physical and temporal boundaries of the human body or the earth. This is illustrated through metaphors like “you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you” which conveys the eternal nature of their bond.
Fearlessness and security
The theme of fearlessness is present, as the speaker expressses confidence and security in their love, claiming, “i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)”. This indicates that the presence of the beloved provides a sense of safety and assurance.
Quiz
i carry your heart by e e cummings
Test your knowledge of the poem 'I Carry Your Heart' by E E Cummings
Comprehension Questions
- Describe the form and structure of the poem. What form does it resemble, and how does it differ from the traditional rules of that form?
- What is the central metaphor of the poem? Explain its meaning.
- What is the impact of repeating the phrase “I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)”?
- What does the metaphor of the moon and sun (lines 8 and 9) suggest about the speaker’s feelings?
- How would you describe the tone of the poem?
- The poem contains some symbols (objects which represent emotions/concepts). Make a list of all the symbols in the poem and explain their meaning.
- What is the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the poem? How do these elements add to the reader’s understanding of the poem?
- Look closely at the use of punctuation in the poem. What do you notice and what do you think is the significance of the choice made by the poet?
- What aural (sound) devices are used in the poem? Identify one aural device and write a paragraph to explain its effect.
- Which poem from your anthology would you use to compare and contrast with ‘I carry your heart’? Create a mind map to compare and contrast the two poems, considering their form, structure, language, speaker, poetic devices and contexts.
Both poems are Shakespearean sonnets and both explore the theme of love. While Shakespeare uses a more traditional form than Cummings, his expressions of love are more grounded and realistic than Cummings’, whose metaphors tend towards the hyperbolic. Cummings’ break from the traditional conventions of punctuation, captialisation and verse structure contrast to Shakespeare’s adherence to the rules. These poems come from very different contexts, and so students have plenty to contrast when analysing these two poems together.
How do I love thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Both poems explore the theme of intense, romantic love and both poems use the form of the sonnet to express these feelings of love. While Barrett Browning uses traditional Petrarchan sonnet conventions, Cummings breaks many of the rules to create a more casual and modern version. There are many similarities in the use of hyperbolic language to express true and lasting love, and due to their very different contexts, there are plenty of ways for students to contrast these poems.
