e.e. cummings: [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Discussion Questions
What does the heart signify in e.e. cummings’ poem? How is it related to the root, bud, and sky of a tree called life?
Even in our modern era of evidence-based medicine, the longstanding metaphorical significance of the heart as the seat of emotion, passion, and love is here to stay. How might our understandings of the heart as metaphor and machine complement each other, or are they at odds?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“The heart is the ultimate striver, that works for all to see, unlike other parts of the body, like the kidneys or liver, that operate in bureaucratic silence. The heart races when you are afraid or impassioned, relaxes when you are satiated.” —@haiderwarraich
“I think it signifies the permanence of some kinds of love in your life (regardless of distance, time or even death).” —@EMoriartyWade
“To me the heart = the soul in this poem, particularly the soul of someone you’re emotionally attached to. The soul is everything about life, root, tree & sky. It really speaks to how deeply intertwined you can be to others that you care about.” —@CarlySokach
“As an imager & cardiologist I look at the heart as containing the essentials of life ( the great vessels the roots, the coronary arteries the supplier of nutrients , the encasing pericardium the sky above, the heart chambers the rooms in which we live).” —@iamritu
About this #MedHumChat
“[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” was joined with “How Your Emotions Change the Shape of Your Heart,” a TED Talk by Sandeep Jahaur and “Darkness before Dawn,” a chapter in Haider Warrich’s book State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease for a #MedHumChat discussion November 20, 2019 exploring The Heart: Metaphor and Machine.
This chat was co-sponsored by Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (@CircOutcomes), an American Heart Association journal.
We were honored to be joined by special guests Haider Warraich and Sandeep Jauhar. Haider Warraich, MD (@haiderwarraich) is the Associate Director of Heart Failure at the Boston Veterans Affairs Hospital, Associate Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Instructor at Harvard Medical School as well as the author of State of the Heart. Sandeep Jauhar, MD (@sjauhar) is a cardiologist, NY Times columnist, and author of Heart: A History.
The pieces for this chat, along with the discussions questions, were selected by Ritu Thamman.
About the Author
e. e. cummings (1894-1962) was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright well known for his avant-garde poetic style and experimental use of language.