Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Orientale: 3" by E.E. Cummings is a sensual and richly symbolic poem that explores the beloved's physical and spiritual beauty through a series of vivid and imaginative metaphors. The poem, like much of Cummings' work, blends the natural world with elements of myth and mysticism, creating an intricate portrait of love and desire. Each stanza presents a different aspect of the beloved, described in ways that elevate her to a near-mythic status while also emphasizing the speaker's deep admiration and reverence.

The poem opens with the speaker addressing his love, immediately setting a tone of intimacy and devotion. The beloved's hair is described as "one kingdom / the king whereof is darkness," a metaphor that suggests both the mystery and the power inherent in her physical presence. The use of "kingdom" and "darkness" evokes a sense of authority and depth, implying that the beloved's hair, and by extension her being, is a realm that the speaker longs to explore but may never fully understand. This darkness might also symbolize the unknown or the subconscious, aspects of the beloved that are both alluring and unfathomable.

The metaphors continue to build upon this sense of mystery and natural beauty. The beloved's "forehead is a flight of flowers," suggesting both the delicacy and the vibrant life force that she embodies. Her head is compared to "a quick forest / filled with sleeping birds," an image that conjures a sense of serenity and latent potential, as if her thoughts are as dynamic and full of life as a forest in springtime, yet presently at peace. This peacefulness contrasts with the activity of her "breasts [which] are swarms of white bees / upon the bough of thy body," a metaphor that emphasizes fertility, energy, and the nurturing aspect of the beloved’s physicality.

The poem continues to weave together natural and mythic imagery as the speaker describes the beloved’s body as "April / in whose armpits is the approach of spring." Here, Cummings ties the beloved directly to the season of renewal and rebirth, suggesting that she is a source of life and growth. Her thighs are likened to "white horses yoked to a chariot / of kings," invoking images of strength, nobility, and classical mythology. The comparison to a minstrel's striking suggests that there is music, rhythm, and art in her every movement, and between her thighs, "there is always a pleasant song," which conveys a sense of harmony and sensual pleasure.

As the poem progresses, Cummings continues to elevate the beloved with a blend of regal and divine imagery. Her head is "a casket / of the cool jewel of thy mind," suggesting that her intellect is precious and carefully guarded. Her hair is described as a warrior "innocent of defeat" and an army "with victory and with trumpets," emphasizing strength, triumph, and the idea that her beauty and spirit are invincible.

The poem also touches on themes of forgetfulness and oblivion, as seen in the lines "thy legs are the trees of dreaming / whose fruit is the very eatage of forgetfulness." This metaphor suggests that the beloved's beauty and presence have the power to make the speaker forget the troubles of the world, offering an escape into a realm of peace and contentment.

Cummings uses color and sound symbolism to further enrich the imagery. The beloved's lips are "satraps in scarlet / in whose kiss is the combining of kings," where "scarlet" suggests passion and power, and the "combining of kings" implies unity and ultimate sovereignty. Her wrists, described as "holy," are "the keepers of the keys of thy blood," which might symbolize the sacredness of life and the idea that the beloved holds the power over life and death, or at least over the speaker's emotions.

The poem culminates in a blend of the sensory and the spiritual, as the beloved’s feet are likened to "flowers in vases / of silver," and her beauty is described as "the dilemma of flutes," a phrase that suggests a complex, almost paradoxical harmony. Finally, the beloved's eyes are "the betrayal / of bells comprehended through incense," an enigmatic metaphor that combines sight, sound, and scent to evoke a sense of ritual, reverence, and perhaps the idea that her beauty and gaze reveal deeper truths or secrets, much like how bells and incense are used in religious ceremonies to evoke the divine.

"Orientale: 3" is a celebration of the beloved's physical and spiritual beauty, using a rich tapestry of metaphors that draw from nature, mythology, and music. Cummings crafts a portrait of love that is both deeply personal and universally resonant, capturing the awe, desire, and reverence that the speaker feels for his beloved. Through the poem's intricate imagery and sensual language, Cummings conveys the complexity of love and the way it elevates the beloved to a realm of the divine.

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