It’s been a while since I have, so I thought I’d share another poem. You all may have heard of E.E. Cummings, the early 20th century poet noted for using neither capitalization nor punctuation. What tends to be most striking about his poems, however, is his syntax. The way he structured his phrases and ordered his words was quite original for his time.
Love is tough to describe.
Cummings also had a gift for imagery, and was able to describe emotion and experience in an almost visual way. His poem [love is more thicker than forget] is a perfect example of this, because he describes love—something many poets try to describe—by using metaphors of concrete experience rather than abstract adjectives. You have to pay attention, too, or the syntax might throw you off. It goes like this:
[love is more thicker than forget]
love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail
it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea
love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive
it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky
Whether or not you agree with his description of love, you can probably relate to some aspect of it.
When we try to describe love we often run into problems because one word, “love,” isn’t really enough to cover the variety of things we mean when we use the word. How can the same word be used to describe my feelings towards my mother, my wife, AND my children? How can that same word describe how I feel about pizza? (I love it so…) This problem is why the poet uses metaphors, why Ancient Greek uses at least four different words for “love,” and why St. Paul used 60 words over 4 Bible verses to describe it. Love is hard to describe, which may be why this poem can be confusing.
As difficult as it is to describe, it’s even harder to do, because to love someone is to take an enormous risk. Love means being willing to sacrifice for the sake of one’s beloved, and sacrifice often hurts. Plus, the sacrifice may not be reciprocate, or shared, but is done anyway for its own sake. Because
it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky
LET US PRAY
Lord, teach us how to love. Out of the overflow of your love you created all things out of nothing, and You delight in the works of Your hands. We thank You for Your infinite love towards us and your grace that grants great mercy to our souls. May our souls overflow to others the love that You have given us. For You are a good God and You love mankind, and to You we give praise and worship always, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 