Art is the visual, auditory or physical application of one’s creative skill and imagination, typically to convey a personal message for emotional power. Through appreciating art, we can learn more about the world around us, as important ideas and concepts are often portrayed through various art forms. Artists absorb the world around them, and portray their ideas, opinions, and sometimes fact through the medium of creativity. We also gain insight into ourselves, as we extend our personal experience of the world by accessing it through abstract forms, as opposed to what we directly experience on a daily basis.
Picasso’s claim that “art is a lie that give us the truth” can be interpreted in many ways. I believe that art is created for the purpose of stretching beyond the limits of possibility through fantastical imagery. But that does not mean that it is not realistic or believable, or even a lie; It is rather a representation. In this poem, E.E Cumming’s craft aids its reader in believing the work to be a good substitute for reality. Therefore the word ‘lie’ perhaps has a different meaning in the context of the arts than in science and maths since it is so subjective. Art can take you nearer to the truth- but also further from it.
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What ‘truth’ does this piece of art present to you?
I Carry Your Heart With Me is a quintessential love poem for the modern age. Cummings writes about a deep, unending love that lives within him. The poem seems effortless, and pulled out of time, which is achieved through the use of 5 concrete images – the moon, sun, heart, tree and star. These archetypal symbols illustrate the universal appeal Cummings intended to create. The formal construction also helps convey themes of intimacy and containment. Parentheses is the perfect punctuation to use as it visually represents the image of containment. Parentheses have a somewhat contradictory place in our writing as they are supposed to contain throwaway information. But because they don’t have to be there and yet still are, parenthetical comments draw attention to themselves. They foreground their content while also backgrounding them at the same time. It is through this use of imagery, language and punctuation that Cummings can hammer home the sense of ambiguity that the emotion of love represents.
Cummings has claimed that man’s only happiness is to transcend himself and affirms that transcendence comes from losing the self in love. Loves ability to transcend is the focus of this poem, and Cummings uses whatever he can to explore different connotations of transcendence. Love is literally a cosmic force that holds the stars, but also the “deepest secret”. The moons significance as a symbol of transcendent reverence is used to illustrate the incomprehensible nature of love. You cannot know the moon, just as you cannot know love. You must experience both to grasp the true beauty of their existence.
Ways of Knowing
The methodology of art can be explained through several ways of knowing, given the variety of art it is often difficult to limit the ways in which knowledge is derived from art, to one specific methodology.
The language in literature can often be very figurative, and this is where the art lies. Figurative language is the creative expression of ideas through non-conventional forms of language. Instead of saying “which grows high” Cummings uses the simile “grows higher than soul can hope”. We learn more through the second sentence, because it relates it with knowledge learned previously. It communicates that the love the “tree of life” is founded on, is something beautiful and cosmic. Through the language of art, we can obtain more knowledge regarding what the artist is trying to present through their use of creative expression.
Emotion is a highly important way of knowing in art, as our emotions are the main way we are able to form interpretations, and take away knowledge from art. This poem evokes feelings of melancholy, love and warmth. We can simultaneously learn about the artist’s intended meaning, and the reasons behind the creation of the piece when we experience this poem. Emotion is what enables and motivates the artist to form the piece in the first place, with a deeper meaning or intended purpose implied, which can then be communicated to the audience through appealing to their emotions. Art can shape how we feel, whilst we also derive knowledge regarding who we are, and how we respond to certain concepts and ideas. In this poem, we may not know the person Cummings was writing it for, but the emotions evoked can be applied to our own lives.
Sense perception is perhaps the most obvious way of knowing with art, we need to be able to perceive what is presented to us, in order to derive knowledge and formulate interpretations from it. The appeal to our abilities to be visually stimulated, or stimulated by sound, and through these mediums, we can form our own interpretations, and conclude with knowledge either about the ideas or concepts presented, or knowledge about ourselves. In this poem, we need to be able to see the words, the syntax and punctuation. Through this viewing what is presented to us, we are able to formulate a greater appreciation and understanding of what Cummings is expressing through the medium of literature.
Shared/Personal Knowledge
The truth in art is predominantly communicated through personal knowledge, due to its abilities to produce such a wide variety of interpretations. However, elements of shared knowledge are also highly important when communicating truth in art, as in many cases, social, cultural, historical and political context is needed in order for an idea to be communicated effectively. In this case, personal knowledge is essential as the poem aims to evoke a response from the reader. Shared knowledge also exists as Cummings had his own muse and inspiration for writing this, that may shape our perception of the art; but the way his view of love and transcendance can be applied to our lives and perceived by the audience is a fundamental aspect of art.
Knowledge Questions
Can this poem be considered as a lie?
Literature can tell the truth metaphorically, or adapted from in the sense of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’; but apart from that, it upholds little truth in the world as we know it. The vocabulary aids our language, thus widening our horizons which makes it a valid source of knowledge. But we cannot possibly begin to state that suns can sing (as stated in the poem) without validity. Even though literature lies, it is a valid source of knowledge. Within the science, the truth is based on the premise of evidence that supports a statement. Within art however, the truth has a metaphorical role in a sense that there is a dictation of form and language to convey a certain emotion and meaning. Scientific evidence does not play apart in the truth of literature and art. Hence in art, we can see that what is true to one person is not always true to another. Art s an incredibly subjective way of knowing and since truth is encompassed within our knowledge, this is a significant factor for this argument.
How does public knowledge of E.E. Cummings influence our private knowledge of this poem?
E.E. Cummings was known as a modernist free form poet. This means that he did not conform to traditional modes and rules. This knowledge may influence the way someone reads his poem as they may pay more attention to understanding his sentence structures and stylistic choices. However, I don’t believe that this knowledge is required to gain a full view of I Carry Your Heart With Me; this knowledge may just inspire a deeper obdurate fascination with the poem.
How does culture affect the interpretation of this poem?
Our cultural background helps establish our value systems, beliefs and experiences which shape the way we perceive the world. This poem was released in 1952, so readers at the time may have associated it with love during war rather than love in general. Someone religious could also extract a more spiritual take on love and take the metaphors as literal description. These varying perceptions of the poem based on the culture you come from is what makes art so subjective, as no one can be wrong with the emotions and meaning they take away.
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