Poem Analysis - If I Believe

Overview: A Love-Fueled Acceptance of Mortality

E.E. Cummings' "if i believe" is a profound meditation on love, death, and the transcendent power of connection. The poem's tone is initially hesitant, almost questioning, but evolves into a confident affirmation rooted in the speaker's experience of profound love. It moves from acknowledging mortality to embracing it as an integral part of a life filled with beauty and intimacy. The poem ultimately envisions death not as an ending, but as a force that can also nurture and transform the beloved.

The Transformative Power of Love

One of the central themes of the poem is the transformative power of love. The first stanza suggests a conditional belief in death, which is contingent on having been loved. The second stanza then bursts forth with vivid imagery: "moon and sunset / stars and flowers / gold crescendo and silver muting / of seatides." These are not merely beautiful images; they represent the totality of the world experienced through the lens of love. The speaker's past distrust, "i trusted not," is superseded by the tangible, sensory experience of love culminating in the intimate embrace described in the following stanzas. The act of physical love becomes intertwined with the sublime beauty of nature, suggesting that love is not just an emotional experience but a fundamental aspect of existence.

Mortality Embraced: Death as a Lover

The poem confronts mortality directly, not as a fearsome unknown, but as a known entity encountered through love. The lines "i knew thee death" are pivotal, suggesting that the speaker has had a revelatory experience, a glimpse into the nature of death itself. This knowledge is gained through the intense physical and emotional connection with the beloved. The image of the "green-greeting pale- departing irrevocable sea" symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and death, a constant ebb and flow. Death is not an absolute end but a transition, a departure that is also a kind of greeting to something new. It is an acceptance of mortality which arises naturally from the experience of the love.

Symbolism and Imagery: Unfolding Meanings

The poem is rich with symbolic imagery. Stars often symbolize eternity, love, and guidance. The "new flower" of the beloved's mouth in the latter stanzas suggests the beauty and fragility of life, a beauty that death will gently interact with. The "wings" associated with death are particularly striking. Instead of being frightening or menacing, these wings are "unimaginable" and dwell in "the breath / of all persisting stars." This suggests that death, empowered by love, possesses transformative potential, capable of protecting and nurturing the beloved even in absence. The white perfume coming "from the ashes" symbolizes rebirth and transformation and further emphasizes the love's capability for eternal life.

Conclusion: A Love Beyond Life

"if i believe" is a powerful testament to the enduring strength of love in the face of mortality. E.E. Cummings does not shy away from the reality of death but frames it within the context of profound connection. The poem suggests that love provides not only meaning in life but also a unique perspective on death, transforming it from a terrifying unknown into a force that can nurture and sustain the beloved. The poem's significance lies in its affirmation that love transcends the boundaries of life and death, offering a vision of hope and continuity in the face of inevitable loss.