Introduction
Because Feeling is First is one of Cummings' most mysterious love poems, extolling a carefree feeling of loving and being loved. The poem is composed in free verse and has 16 verses, making it impossible for the reader to recognize any clear underlying structure. The title of the poem appears in the first line of the poem, reminding the reader of the significance of an individual's emotions and intuitions in life. The poem's persona is a man in love with a woman. The story is told in the first person. The lines are punctuated incorrectly and are grouped in a syntax mistake. Notably, a syntax error is symbolic to the poem and denote that life is not simply structured like a paragraph. The persona vividly mentions that “laugh, leaning back in my arms/ for life's not a paragraph” (Cummings). In other words, life does not have to be a logical order depicted in a paragraph.
Tone and Themes
The tone portrayed in the poem is romantic and realization. Here, the speaker thinks that there is nothing greater in life that is worth than love. Again, the poem figuratively indicates that some people overlook the importance of to realizing better aspects in life as they give more consideration to insignificant aspects. In fact, the poem explains that life is sensible if one goes through it by not trying to find reasons why things occur in a manner not planned (Gale 5). For this reason, if one strives to make sense of everything he or she fails to understand the true meaning of life. For example, the first stanza of the poem draws its emphasis on how an individual has first to consider his or her feelings in leading a happy life. Again, the poem compares life to a paragraph and thus elucidating that in a paragraph, ideas have to be coherent, but life lacks logical order. Themes that are evident in the poem include love and emotions. In view of this, the persona alludes that one’s emotions are powerful, vital and hence require attention. The persona addresses his emotions to a woman he loves and the lines "my blood approves of the relationship," and "kisses are a better fate than wisdom" explain these themes (Cummings). The title and the first line of the poem “Since Feeling is First” dramatize the conflict between the emotions, rational and irrationality. Cummings starts his poem using the word “since” and hence setting an expectation and an argument (Gale 5). However, he delays this argument, and the first two lines deliver a question while the first stanza gives a complete subject. The poem is seductive and romantic. The speaker wants to engage in kissing, and here, the very purpose of the poem is provoked by the kisses. The narrator says “and kisses are a better fate/ than wisdom” (Cummings). Decisions in life have to be grounded on the heart and not the mind. Equally, love has to be welcomed as nothing is stronger than a person’s emotions towards another individual.
Literary Devices
Cumming's poem also employs literary devices including imagery and metaphor to express the feelings of the speaker. These devices strongly enhance the poem’s themes and make it captivating to the reader. In line three, Cummings uses the word syntax which is an intensive and intriguing metaphor suggesting a strong passion of love. The metaphor is also evident in the last stanza which reads “For life’s not a paragraph and death I think is no parenthesis” (Cummings). Metaphorically, life may not seem to go as planned as it is not structured. Individuals do not have to be confined to given rules and mechanism. The line mentioning that death is no parenthesis means that death is not an interruption. In a paragraph, parentheses are an interruption. Nevertheless, death is final, and no one can refrain from it. Imagery is depicted in the lines “the best gesture of my brain is less than/your eyelids' flutter which says” (Cummings). An imagery of the eyelids fluttering is created in the mind of the reader. This imagery is significant in drawing the reader into a situation experienced and highlight narrator's feelings. It provides the reader with metal images that appeal to the sense of sight and virtual when passing the intended message (Gale 7). Indeed, metaphor and the imagery devices make the poem enchanting and give the poem a significant meaning.
Conclusion
Indeed, Since Feeling is First connotes to be one of the finest romantic poems hat portray how important emotions are and justify why love is a priority in life. Notably, Cummings’ writing style which incorporates metaphor and imagery plays a critical role in understanding the meaning of the poem. There is no doubt that, his approach is a masterpiece of literature that every reader appreciates. More importantly, the poem communicates that if a person struggles to live life as planned, he or she may fail to recognize other grander things that nature provides. In respect to this, the entire poem manifest that life is worth appreciating in attempts to lead a contented life.
Works Cited
Cummings. E. E. Since Feeling Is First. Daily Poetry. 2006. https://dailypoetry.me/e-e-cummings/since-feeling-is-first/ (Accessed on 29 September, 2017)
Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide For E.E. Cummings’s “”Since Feeling Is First””. Farmington Hills, Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016,.
