Aug 24 2012
e. e. cummings – i thank You God for most this amazing
i thank You God for most this amazing
by e. e. cummings
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
— from E.E. Cummings: Complete Poems 1904-1962, by e. e. cummings
/ Photo by Shahram Sharif /
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
I first read this thirty years ago, and I still get shivers reading those opening lines.
The delightfully anarchic poetry of e. e. cummings is more than poetic art, there is something of the mystic experience in it, as well. This poem is a good example.
The two parenthetical verses hint that he is describing much more than simply the natural joy of a beautiful day. There is something truly magical going on here…
He uses Biblical, ecstatic phrasing when he proclaims “(now the ears of my ears are awake and / now the eyes of my eyes are opened).” He isn’t just saying this, he seems to breathlessly shout it out to the “great happening illimitably earth.” This is seeing the inner nature of things, as they are in their true essence. This is not just seeing; he is seeing, not with the eyes, but with the “eyes of my eyes.” Perceiving in this way, we invite the outside in, as if we are ingesting it, integrating it into ourselves. Every experience becomes vivifying nutrition for the soul.
In this new awareness, we perceive not only the living day all around us, we also recognize ourselves for the first time. It is a radical awakening, a new life, a birth of Self —
i who have died and am alive again today.
Have an amazing day!
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e. e. cummings
US (1894 – 1962) Timeline |
I love it. Great abstract imagery.
Thanks, Ivan!
ee was my introduction to poetry that
spoke-used no caps-or conformed to
punctuation-just shared ideas-feelings-
truth as he sees it-briefly from his heart
The “i thank you God…” is a poem amazingly rich in imagery of inner life of things we ordinarily pass by without seeing. It opens a fourth dimension to our vision. Thank you for posting it. Jelena
i thank you ivan for most this amazing poem.
It is without question my absolute favorite! I first read it in the ’70s in college or the ashram and have often used it to practice calligraphy. Coincidentally, I recited it this morning to propitiate Apollo for his magnificent work and it came to me that this would be a nice embellishment for the east brick wall on my balcony.
Thanks again for the wonderful work you do. (I’m not sure that work is the right word.) Your chaikhana is such a gift to enrich the day. It is indeed food for the soul, an antidote for these troubled times.
Peace!
It’s really nice. I love it.