Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Orientale: 6" by E.E. Cummings is a lush, evocative poem that immerses the reader in a world of opulence, power, and desire. The poem is a striking depiction of an emperor's life, filled with grandeur and sensuality, as well as the underlying tensions of control and submission. Through its detailed imagery and carefully constructed scenes, the poem explores themes of absolute authority, the eroticism of power, and the intricate dance of desire.

The poem begins with a vivid portrayal of the emperor, who "sleeps in a palace of porphyry / which was a million years building." Porphyry, a purple stone associated with royalty and wealth, immediately establishes the emperor's immense power and the grandeur of his existence. The time it took to build his palace—"a million years"—suggests a sense of timelessness, as if the emperor's reign transcends the ordinary limits of human life.

The emperor's daily life is filled with symbols of luxury and authority. He takes the air in "a howdah of jasper beneath saffron umbrellas / upon an elephant twelve feet high," accompanied by a "crowned king twirling an ankus of ebony." Each element—the jasper, saffron, and ebony—contributes to the exotic and regal atmosphere. The elephant, a traditional symbol of strength and wisdom, further emphasizes the emperor's majesty. The presence of a king riding behind the elephant suggests layers of power and hierarchy, even within the emperor's own domain.

The description of the emperor's palace continues to build this image of overwhelming wealth and grandeur. The palace's fountains "run sunlight and moonlight," blending natural elements into a display of luxury. The emperor's harem, "carpeted with gold cloth," and the "fifty marble pillars" that fall "from immeasurable height" create a sense of vastness and splendor. The harem itself is a place of both beauty and control, where "naked eunuchs" guard the entrances, each one "blacker than oblivion," their scimitars "like windy torches." The eunuchs, with their turbans of "a hundred colours," embody the emperor's absolute control over his domain, both in terms of their appearance and their unwavering vigilance.

The women in the harem are described as "queens of all the earth," each adorned with rings from "mines a mile deep." Yet, even among these queens, there is one who stands out: "the queen of queens," whose body is "more transparent than water" and "softer than birds." This queen is portrayed as the ultimate object of desire, the epitome of beauty and softness, which sets the stage for the emperor's interaction with her.

In the second part of the poem, the emperor's desire is fully realized. When he is "very amorous," he reclines on "the couch of couches" and beckons the queen of queens with "the little finger of his left hand." This small, almost casual gesture highlights his absolute power; with the slightest movement, he commands the appearance of the most desired woman in his realm. The queen of queens enters, her "ankles musical with large pearls" and "kingdoms in her ears." As she dances before the emperor, her body "weaving insinuating" on the gold cloth, she creates "patterns of sudden lust," embodying the erotic power that she wields, yet is also subjected to.

The imagery of the queen's dance is sensual and fluid, with her body "expending / gathering pouring upon itself / to a white thorn of desire." This phrase suggests the intensity and sharpness of desire, something both beautiful and potentially painful. The cithern player and the "elected warriors" who accompany the emperor watch with "twitching eyelids" and "unquiet spears," their own lust and tension mirroring the emperor's. The warriors, described as having "bodies of lazy jade," are both passive and poised, ready to act on the emperor's command.

As the emperor becomes more engrossed in the spectacle, he throws "jewels" and "white money" at the queen, an act that symbolizes both his wealth and his objectification of her. His nod, which signals the end of the dance, brings everything to a halt: "all stiffens / depart through the bruised air aflutter with pearls." The imagery of the "bruised air" suggests the intensity of the encounter, leaving a lingering sense of exhaustion and spent desire.

In the final part of the poem, the queen rises and stands "a moment / in the passion of the fifty pillars / listening," while "the queens of all the earth writhe upon deep rugs." This image captures a brief pause, a moment of reflection or anticipation, as the queen listens to something unknown, while the other queens, reduced to mere bodies, writhe in the background, perhaps in envy, pain, or desire.

"Orientale: 6" is a powerful exploration of the interplay between power, wealth, and desire. Cummings uses elaborate and sensuous imagery to depict a world where every movement and gesture is charged with meaning, where beauty and luxury are inextricably linked to control and domination. The poem suggests that in this world, desire is both a driving force and a tool of power, something that can be commanded and manipulated, but also something that can overwhelm and consume. Through its intricate and evocative language, "Orientale: 6" reveals the complex and often unsettling dynamics of love, lust, and authority.

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