E. Cummings Since Feeling Is First

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The poem “since feeling is first” by E. E. Cummings is a poem that uses the deep rooted romantic and religious nature to convince the reader that life should be lead to the fullest because of mortality. The poem uses the play on words and the way words sound to instill romantic and religious images throughout the poem. The unusual grammar and punctuation are tools to give deeper meaning than the words themselves. The poem uses a double meaning of several words such as feeling, kiss and as a word play on the word wholly. Rather than the physical act of feeling, touching requires thought to identify an object, but instead feeling conveys emotion. This is significant since the poem iterates several times not to dwell too much. Instead acquiesce to fate since as Cummings stated life’s not just a section or part of a thought. …show more content…

No one is actually getting kissed, but the use of the word kiss implies an act of affection and romance. Cummings uses the affection and romance of the kiss with, “we are for each other:” (Cummings 1). Diving deeper into human nature and tying religion to the romance of kiss Cummings uses the word wholly. The sound is the same as the word holy to suggest a spiritual implication. If a person is never “wholly kissed” (Cummings 1) then a person cannot be holy kissed. Meaning, if the order of all or syntax is the focus of life, the life lived will not be a blessed one. Again, it is preferred to be a blessed or holy fool than a complete or “wholly”

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