Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Sonnets - Realities: 2" by E.E. Cummings is a poignant farewell that captures the complexity of love, loss, and memory. The poem is structured as a sonnet, with its characteristic 14 lines and a rhyming pattern, but Cummings' approach to language and imagery sets it apart from traditional sonnets. Through the use of colloquial language, vivid imagery, and subtle shifts in tone, the poem explores the bittersweet nature of parting and the enduring impact of love.

The poem begins with the speaker bidding farewell to Betty in a casual, almost nonchalant manner: "goodby Betty, don't remember me." This opening line immediately establishes a tone of detachment, as if the speaker is trying to minimize the significance of the departure. However, the directness of the statement belies the underlying emotion, suggesting that the speaker may be masking deeper feelings of sorrow or regret.

The speaker then offers Betty advice on how to live her life after their parting: "pencil your eyes dear and have a good time / with the tall tight boys at Tabari's." The mention of penciling her eyes and socializing with boys at a nightclub (Tabari's) evokes a lively, perhaps hedonistic, lifestyle. The speaker encourages Betty to enjoy herself, to "keep your teeth snowy, stick to beer and lime," and to "wear dark," advice that combines both practical concerns with the superficialities of appearance. This focus on externalities suggests a coping mechanism, a way to distract from the pain of separation by indulging in the pleasures of the moment.

However, the tone shifts subtly in the middle of the poem. The speaker asks Betty to wear roses where her "meeting breasts are round," a more intimate and tender request that contrasts with the earlier, more casual advice. The roses symbolize love, beauty, and perhaps even the speaker's lingering affection for Betty. The phrase "it's all i ask of you" carries a sense of resignation, as if the speaker is acknowledging the limitations of their influence over Betty's life.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's thoughts turn to the inevitable passage of time and the onset of evening: "when light fails and this sweet profound / Paris moves with lovers, two and two / bound for themselves." The imagery here evokes a romantic and melancholic scene, where the city of Paris—often associated with love—becomes a backdrop for lovers as night falls. The use of the word "profound" suggests a depth of feeling that contrasts with the earlier lighthearted tone. The speaker imagines Betty in this setting, "exactly paled and curled / with mystic lips," capturing a moment of vulnerability and reflection.

The final lines of the poem bring together the themes of love, memory, and mortality: "proving to Death that Love is so and so." Here, the speaker contemplates the enduring nature of love, even in the face of death. The phrase "so and so" is deliberately vague, suggesting that love cannot be fully defined or captured by words. It also implies a certain inevitability, as if the speaker is resigned to the fact that love, in all its complexity, will ultimately be proven true only by the finality of death.

In "Sonnets - Realities: 2," Cummings masterfully balances a tone of casual detachment with moments of deep emotional resonance. The poem's structure as a sonnet allows for a gradual unfolding of the speaker's true feelings, moving from the superficial to the profound. Through his use of vivid imagery and subtle shifts in tone, Cummings captures the bittersweet nature of love and parting, leaving the reader with a sense of both the fleeting and the eternal aspects of human connection. The poem ultimately suggests that love, even when it ends, leaves an indelible mark that persists beyond the moment of separation.

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