Poem Analysis - O Its Nice To Get Up

Introduction: A Tumultuous Awakening

E.E. Cummings' "O It's Nice To Get Up" is a bold, sexually charged poem that explores the raw, almost chaotic, experience of desire and intimacy. The poem leaps from a sensual, almost grotesque, initial image to an intense, feverish culmination, then dips into a moment of quiet vulnerability. The tone is far from sentimental; it’s visceral and immediate. The mood shifts rapidly from playful and suggestive to urgent and almost desperate.

Love, Sex, and the Sacred Profane

One of the central themes is the complex relationship between love and sex. Cummings doesn't present a sanitized version of either; instead, he dives headfirst into the messy reality of physical connection. The opening lines, describing the "slipshod mucous kiss / of her riant belly’s fooling bore," are deliberately provocative and challenge conventional notions of romantic love. However, the poem also hints at a deeper emotional connection, as the speaker's passion seems to border on a spiritual experience, invoking "youngest angels" and "God," suggesting a blurring of the sacred and the profane. This is reinforced by the juxtaposition of "Hell" and "supreme sex," indicating that extreme experiences, whether "good" or "bad," can be intertwined.

The Fleeting Nature of Pleasure

Another theme is the transience of pleasure. The poem moves with a frenetic energy, capturing the fleeting nature of physical desire. The phrase "In The Good Old Summer Time," while seemingly innocent, carries a tinge of nostalgia, suggesting that these moments are temporary and must be savored. The parenthetical remarks like "Must be summer. Hush. Worms." evoke a sense of decay and impermanence, reminding us that even the most intense experiences are ultimately transient and subject to the passage of time. The final lines, with the speaker pleading, "Please hold. Tight," reveals a fear of this fleeting nature and a desire to prolong the experience.

Imagery of Arousal and Vulnerability

Cummings employs potent imagery to convey the raw physicality of desire. The "gorgeous bullet in tickling intuitive flight" is a striking metaphor for the speaker's arousal and desire. It's a forceful image, yet the word "tickling" adds a playful, almost innocent quality. The "hot subliminal lips" and "stirring" contribute to the overall sensory experience of the poem. However, alongside these images of passion are moments of vulnerability. The speaker's desperate plea, "Please hold. Tight," reveals a longing for connection that goes beyond mere physical satisfaction. The ambiguous "Hush," appearing both before and after the climax, creates an atmosphere of secrecy and vulnerability.

Conclusion: A Celebration of Raw Experience

"O It's Nice To Get Up" is a powerful and unconventional exploration of sex, love, and the fleeting nature of experience. Cummings challenges conventional notions of romance by embracing the raw, visceral aspects of desire. The poem suggests that true intimacy lies not in idealized notions of love, but in the messy, complicated reality of human connection. Ultimately, the poem is a celebration of life lived fully, embracing both the pleasure and the vulnerability that come with being human. Does the poem's abrupt ending suggest a loss of connection, or a return to the mundane after an extraordinary experience?